Economic Development – Holland – Hope College Sustainability Institute

Living Sustainably: LED Technology Offers Bright Ideas for Saving Money

LIVING SUSTAINABLY: LED Technology Offers Bright Ideas for Saving Money
By Barry Rutherford, Holland Board of Public Works

Like many small business owners, Joe Langejans, owner of Maplewood Auto at 242 East 26th St. in Holland, has to make every dollar count to stay in business. So, when he was approached by a salesman talking about new LED lights and how much money he could save, Langejans said “show me in writing” and asked for a quote.
A light-emitting diode, or LED, is a type of lighting that uses a semi-conductor to turn electricity into light.
According to the Department of Energy, LEDs can be six to seven times more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer. In addition to being more efficient than any other bulb, LEDs contain no mercury, and have a much smaller environmental impact than traditional bulbs.

The contractor assessed and quoted Langejans’ facility and presented him with a couple of surprising things.
First was a sizeable rebate for the project from Holland Board of Public Works, which, according to Langejans was “absolutely” critical in determining his decision to move forward with the project. In addition, the contractor made it easy by handling the rebate paperwork. Last year alone, Holland BPW helped more than 150 businesses earn rebates for a wide variety of energy efficiency improvements.
The second surprise was that the contractor estimated Maplewood Auto would recover the cost of the project in just nine months with the rebate and the energy savings from the LED lights.
“The contractor gave me an impressive return on investment estimate due to the rebate, and explained the long-term, energy-saving nature of installing LED lights, which is why I moved forward with the project,” Langejans said.
Langejans is very happy with the performance of the LED lights; they resulted in a 36 percent reduction in Maplewood Auto’s electric bill, making for a quick payback. Langejans said he would recommend other small businesses in the Holland community adopt smart energy practices and look into financial assistance if needed.
Not sure where to start? Start by contacting an electrician or lighting supplier to help determine what LEDs are right for your business and visit hollandbpw.com for available rebates. Financing options are also available at Michigansaves.org.
 Barry Rutherford is a certified energy efficiency engineer at Holland Board of Public Works. He advises commercial and industrial customers on ways to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities and production processes.

PHOTO CUTLINES –
Maplewood1.jpg A well-lit work area at Maplewood Auto Repair costs much less to light with LED technology.
maplewood.jpg New LED technology provided a 36 percent reduction in the electric bills for Joe Langejans at Maplewood Auto Repair.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme:
Smart Energy: We need to use both conservation and efficiency measures to manage our resources to provide access to reliable and cost-effective energy.

ABOUT THIS SERIES
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

Living Sustainably: Water conservation is vital

By Dave Van Wylen, Hope College

There are few places where it is possible to be more unaware of global water issues than in West Michigan. Sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan in a region with ample rainfall and many inland lakes, we are water-rich in comparison to many parts of the world.

Our water abundance is amplified by living in a state surrounded by the Great Lakes, which not only provides us with a near limitless source of fresh water, but also creates the perception: Water is plentiful, so why conserve?

Millions around the world are not nearly so fortunate. Consider the Poor Water Map of the world in which countries are sized according to the proportion of people without reliable access to safe water. (See worldmapper.org for maps of this sort).

The U.S. is virtually non-existent on this map as are countries like Australia and many European countries. This makes sense when you think about it – from where you are as you read this, how far are you from a source of safe drinking water?

Compare the U.S. to the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa or to India or Indonesia, where a large percentage of the people, sometimes upwards of 50 percent, lack access to safe drinking water. “Access” typically means within 1 kilometer (a 10 to 15-minute walk); for many, their water source is much further away.

Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that 884 million people lack even basic clean drinking water service – about one in nine people. Very few of these 884 million people live in the United States; perhaps none live in West Michigan.

Now consider the Water Use Map, which illustrates global water discrepancies from another perspective, showing countries sized according to their proportion of worldwide water use.

Again, compare the U.S. to Sub-Saharan Africa. Americans use about 575 liters per person per day (152 gallons) of water for drinking, basic hygiene, bathing, laundry, and general household use. Those living in many Sub-Saharan countries average around 50 liters per person per day (13.2 gallons); the “typical” American uses more than this each day just to flush the toilet.

The World Health Organization suggests that humans need a minimum 20 liters per person per day (5.3 gallons) for drinking and basic hygiene or a minimum of 50 liters per person per day (13.2 gallons) when including bathing and laundry. Many in the world live below these “water poverty” minimums, while we use more than 10 times this amount.

Water issues are basically local in nature. If I conserve water in Holland, I don’t create more water across the ocean. Nevertheless, our use of water here in West Michigan should be understood within a global context, something that does not come naturally in our region of water abundance.

How often are we motivated by the lack of water elsewhere to limit the length of a shower, think twice about watering the lawn, or minimize the amount of time the faucet runs?

There are good reasons to conserve our local waters that are unrelated to a global comparison. To act locally and globally to address water issues, Google “household water conservation” (local) and “clean water organizations” (global) for ideas.

– Dave Van Wylen is the Dean for Natural and Applied Science at Hope College and on the Advisory Board for the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme:

Environmental Awareness/Action: Environmental education and integrating environmental practices into our planning will change negative outcomes of the past and improve our future.

ABOUT THIS SERIES:

Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

August 2017 Sustainability News

August 2017 Sustainability News

August 31, 2017 – 7 Ways to Have a Great Green Labor Day Party

August 31, 2017 – 4 steps to safely recycle your household batteries

August 31, 2017 – SpartanNash expands Double Up program

August 31, 2017 – Here’s What Good Buildings Have in Common

August 31, 2017 – Local Favorites: This salad takes advantage of fresh veggies

August 31, 2017 – Holland area joins Harvey relief cause; learn where is best to give

August 30, 2017 – Something in the Water: Turns out there are more than a handful of craft breweries owned by Hope College alumni.

August 30, 2017 – Into Africa: Dr. Tim Laman ’83 is passionate about conservation and joined the Hope College Alumni Travel Program.

August 30, 2017 – Dumpster-Diving Your Way into Zero Waste to Landfill

August 30, 2017 – Considering a Green Roof to Boost Stormwater Management? New PACE Funding Can Help

August 30, 2017 – How much would Hurricane Harvey rain raise the Great Lakes?

August 30, 2017 – Comment period closing for Saugatuck Dunes marina development

August 30, 2017 – Michigan communities take slightly different approach to clean energy financing tool

August 30, 2017 – National environment group recognizes GVSU sustainability practices

August 29, 2017 – Hurricane Harvey a Trash, Logistics Disaster

August 29, 2017 – 7 Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency

August 29, 2017 – The ever-inconvenient Gore

August 28, 2017 – Living Sustainably: Gardening a different way helps students learn

August 28, 2017 – Could states lure new businesses with renewable energy? (Large companies are looking for locations that help them meet clean energy goals, says a Michigan utility.)

August 26, 2017 – Meet the nation’s most endangered monuments

August 25, 2017 – Hurricane Harvey Shakes Up Oil Prices

August 25, 2017 – Why are Bill Gates and Richard Branson investing in meat that costs $18,000 a pound?

August 25, 2017 – Michigan DNR reminds hunters to observe cervid importation regulations

August 25, 2017 – Artist takes part in groundbreaking exhibition

August 24, 2017 – By 2021, we’ll have lost more than 4,000 grocery stores

August 24, 2017- Women Who Care donates $19,500 to Escape Ministries

August 24, 2017 – Fennville Schools asking for $23M bond

August 24, 2017 – Downtown Holland parking ambassador starting next week

August 24, 2017 – Letter: Clear and present danger

August 24, 2017 – Interior Secretary Zinke won’t eliminate any national monuments

August 24, 2017 – Indianapolis LED Streetlight Upgrade Will Save More Than $800K Per Year

August 24, 2017 – As In-house Sustainable Sourcing Schemes Soar, Will Fairtrade Fade?

August 23, 2017 – Letter: Clean water crucial to making America great again

August 23, 2017 – ‘Not one drop’ of Poland Spring bottled water is from a spring, lawsuit claims

August 23, 2017 – Midwest researchers aim to make home energy management systems even smarter

August 23, 2017 – Organic produce becomes mainstream

August 23, 2017 – How much sugar in that cola? Panera to list it on its cups

August 22, 2017 – A coal country dispute over an alleged Trump promise unmet

August 23, 2017- As US Exports More Natural Gas, Manufacturers Worry About Increased Prices

August 22, 2017 – Sierra Magazine Cool Schools 2017 – Hope College listed as 156/227 schools Full List. Princeton Review: Green College 2018 Honor Roll

August 21, 2017 – Living Sustainably: Award-winning series celebrates local sustainability

August 22, 2017 – Green Roof Retrofits Relieve Stormwater Systems (and Look Lovely)

August 20, 2017 – Meet Destination Education’s new college advisers

August 19, 2017 – How a middle-aged Midwestern nobody made his mark in the Arctic

August 18, 2017 – Asian carp caught near Lake Michigan got past electric barriers

August 18, 2017 – GHI projects receive Governor’s Energy Excellence Award nomination

August 18, 2017 – Holland votes to file lawsuit against company involved in Holland Energy Park project

August 18, 2017 – THE MEETING OF THE FUTURE IS GREEN AND LOOKS LIKE THIS

August 17, 2017 – Michigan Legislature Expands Program Serving Locally-Grown Food in Schools

August 17, 2017 – It’s Time to Tie Executive Compensation to Sustainability

August 17, 2017 – Cream Cheese Plant Uses ‘Unsustainable & Disruptive’ Amounts of Water

August 16, 2017 – MESSAGE TO THE HOPE COMMUNITY by Rev. Dennis Voskuil

August 16, 2017 – Method Cleaning Products To Display How2Recycle Labels

August 15, 2017 – SMELLS OF THE CITY

August 15, 2017 – Living Sustainably: Creative recycling can help Michigan catch up

August 15, 2017 – Annual Michigan Economic Developers Association meeting held in Holland

August 15, 2017 – 5 simple ways to stay connected as a family on a budget

August 15, 2017 – Hudsonville receives tree-planting grant

August 15, 2017 – West Olive’s Ottawa School turns 150

August 15, 2017 – Holland police surprise special needs student

August 15, 2017 – Eclipse viewers need special glasses, astronomers say

August 15, 2017 – Infant mortality rate rises 35% in Holland

August 15, 2017 – EXHIBITION “OUT OF NATURE” TO OPEN ON AUG. 24

August 14, 2017 – Living Sustainably: Creative recycling can help Michigan catch up

August 14, 2017 – Developer wants industrial district in Holland for future tax abatement

August 14, 2017 – UNIQUE REUNION CELEBRATES HOPE PROFESSOR AND THE SCIENCES

August 11, 2017 – Poll: Most say time to stop trying to repeal ‘Obamacare’

August 10, 2017 – Building Healthy Communities encourages Michigan schools to apply for wellness program

August 10, 2017 – Hope College’s Bultman Center provides dedicated student space

August 10, 2017 – Latino Republicans see political peril in Trump immigration plan

August 10, 2017 – Holland reacts to the election of Raul Garcia

August 10, 2017 – Millennials are driving a $9 trillion change in investing

August 10, 2017 – Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance Announces New Executive Director

August 9, 2017 – FORMER TRUSTEE CHAIR MAX DE PREE DIES

August 9, 2017 – NSF GRANT SUPPORTS HOPE COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT OF BIO-INSPIRED APPROACH TO REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES

August 8, 2017 – 6 Essential Truths That Will Help the World Urbanize Sustainably

August 7, 2017 –Living Sustainably: 5 ways to put green into back to school

August 7, 2017 – STUDENTS HONORED DURING NATIONAL MATHEMATICS CONFERENCE FOR PRESENTATIONS ON BIRD SONG RESEARCH

August 7, 2017 – Government Report Finds Drastic Impact of Climate Change on U.S.

August 7, 2017 – Secretary Perdue Announces $16.8 Million to Encourage SNAP Participants to Purchase Healthy Foods

August 7, 2017 – Wrangler to Cotton Farmers: Improve Sustainability, Boosts Profits, We’ll Help

August 7, 2017 – Former VW Exec Pleads Guilty to Helping Car Maker Cheat Emissions Standards in the US

August 7, 2017 – DuPont Continues to Settle Environmental Lawsuits, Adds Another $50M

August 7, 2017 – World’s Largest Companies Push Record Growth in Renewable Energy

August 7, 2017 – Commercial Building Retrofits Follow Ultra-Low Energy Trend

August 6, 2017 – HITLER’S AMERICAN MODEL–AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR RACE IN THE U.S. TODAY

August 5, 2017 – Students get prekindergarten help with Start School Ready

August 4, 2017 – Camp Sunshine creates fun space for developmentally disabled

August 4, 2017 – Spring & Summer Sustainability Slants: Supply Chain, Packaging & Apparel

August 4, 2017 – The hidden environmental costs of dog and cat food

August 4, 2017 – Class to offer mountain biking basics

August 4, 2017 – How Much Motor City Water Does Coke Use, and What Does It Cost ‘Em?

August 4, 2017 – PepsiCo Faces Activist Outrage, Plus Threats of More to Come

August 4, 2017 – Report Points Finger at US Timber Distributors for Illegal Deforestation in PNG

August 3, 2017 – Third Annual Governor’s Energy Excellence Awards Honor Michiganders for Innovative Energy Solutions (Finalists include public, private efforts to reduce energy waste) Holland has been involved in three of the finalist projects. Information about the program can be found at http://mienergyexcellence.org/

August 3, 2017 – Holland state park, DNR host stop invasives week

August 3, 2017 – The Mediterranean diet works – but not if you’re poor, a study finds

August 3, 2017 – NSF GRANT SUPPORTS EXPANSION OF ONLINE RESOURCE FOR TEACHING INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

August 3, 2017 – Walmart: Chemical Footprint Reporting Is Key to Creating Sustainable Stuff

August 2, 2017 – Hope College earns STARS Silver rating

August 2, 2017 – Sustainability in school isn’t as hard as you think (Going green in your dorm isn’t as hard as you think)

August 2, 2017 – Must-have elements for building a sustainable new home

August 2, 2017 – UPDATE: Civic Center work halted during investigation of fatal accident

August 2, 2017 – Hitting the Goals of the Paris Agreement Requires Urgent Business Support

August 1, 2017 – 5 tips for taking the stress out of ‘back to after school’

August 1, 2017 – Michigan DNR to accept pre-proposals for aquatic habitat grants

August 1, 2017 – How Alternative Energy Affects Electricity Pricing

Living Sustainably: Award-winning series celebrates local sustainability

LIVING SUSTAINABLY: Award-winning series celebrates local sustainability

By Michelle Gibbs, Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute

Back by popular demand, the Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore series is offering another great line-up of educational events sharing how Holland is becoming a more sustainable community.
The annual series began in the fall of 2014, and the planning team’s mission is to educate and empower citizens to live more sustainably through these free educational events.

Each month, as part of our upcoming 2017-2018 series, we will share information about work being done as it relates to the city’s “Sustainability Framework.” The framework demonstrates the many ways in which sustainability awareness can improve our community’s future. It includes these seven themes:
 Smart Energy
 Economic Development
 Transportation
 Community & Neighborhood
 Quality of Life
 Community Knowledge
 Environmental Action & Awareness
The City of Holland Sustainability Committee created this seven-pillar framework to guide decisions about our future, ensuring Holland continues to be a world-class place to live, to do business, and to play.
We are using the framework to share information about our journey to become a more sustainable community. Find the 2016 Sustainability Report at www.hollandsustainabilityreport.org/.
In September 2016, Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore received the “2016 Top Project Award” from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Neighborhood Environmental Partners Program.
The advocacy group was recognized for its 2015 educational series and for collaborating with 50 local partners on behalf of sustainability education. The announcement was made at the First Annual Michigan Sustainability Conference, held in Grand Rapids.
The Living Sustainably series is sponsored by the following organizations, with additional endorsing partners that assist with individual events relevant to their respective missions:
 City of Holland, as part of the Sustainability Committee’s efforts,
 GreenMichigan.org,
 Herrick District Library, as part of the library’s adult programming series,
 Hope College, as part of the Sustainability Institute,
 League of Women Voters,
 Meijer Campus of Grand Valley State University, as part of the university’s commitment to sustainability, and
 West Michigan Environmental Action Council.
Plan now to attend the fall and winter events, shown in the list.
Flyers can be found under the “Events” section at www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute or follow us on Facebook by searching for “Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore.”
Details about the spring 2018 line-up will be available later this fall. We look forward to having you join us!
 Michelle Gibbs is director of the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute. The vision for the Institute is a healthy and economically vibrant community that promotes environmental stewardship and mutual respect for people and the planet. Our mission is to foster collaborative efforts to infuse sustainability into the minds and practices of the greater Holland community.

Save the Dates: Living Sustainably Event Schedule
These Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore programs all will be 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
“Quality of Life: The Macatawa Watershed,” Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Herrick District Library.
“Smart Energy: Holland Energy Park – Resource. Destination. Gateway.,” Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Holland Energy Park. (RSVP required due to limited space). RSVP: http://bit.ly/visit-holland-energy-park
“Community and Neighborhood: Recycling, It’s not just 3R’s. Hint: It’s 8R’s.,” Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Herrick District Library.
“Economic Development: Forecasting a Sustainable Government,” Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Herrick District Library.

PHOTO CUTLINES –
Lake mac.jpg (Courtesy of the City of Holland) The Lake Macatawa watershed’s role in Holland’s quality of life is the focus of the first of the Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore fall programs.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme:
Community Knowledge: The collective knowledge of the community is an incredible resource, that knowledge and energy must be channeled to where it is needed.

Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore Upcoming Events

The series is led by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability-Institute as part of their community education programming. The series follows the City of Holland’s Sustainability Framework for creating a more sustainable community for all. https://hollandsustainabilityreport.org/

LSATL fall 2017 events (flyer)

We offer FREE educational events which aim to educate and empower Holland area residents to live more sustainably. The series is brought to you by the following sponsor organizations, with additional endorsing partners that assist with individual events relevant to their respective missions:

-City of Holland, as part of the Sustainability Committee’s efforts
-GreenMichigan
-Herrick District Library, as part of the Library’s adult programming series
-Hope College, as part of the Sustainability Institute
-League of Women Voters, as part of the Natural Resource Committee’s efforts
-Meijer Campus of Grand Valley State University, as part of the University’s commitment to sustainability
-West Michigan Environmental Action Council

Bike Holland Series – Event # 5 (Final Event of the Summer)

Monday, August 21 at 7:00pm – FREE RIDE

Come celebrate the new bike lanes in Holland and show your support for alternative transportation at the Bike Holland ride series this summer. The ride will roll out from Centennial Park (250 Central Ave Holland) at 7PM and will last roughly 45 minutes at a very casual and social pace. All types of cyclists and bikes welcome. Helmets are required.
This final ride will be led by the Russcher family! If you spend much time downtown Holland, then you’ve probably seen this family out and about on their bikes! Andy commutes via bike daily and the family makes cycling a priority in their day to day lives. Andy is an active member of Pedal Holland. Our post-ride get together will be at New Holland Brewing Co.

Huge thank you to all of our partners, ride leaders and post-ride sites!! The Russcher family, New Holland Brewing Co., Velo City Cycles, Our Brewing Company, Lemonjello’s Coffee, Frances Jaye, Collective Idea, Pocket Photographer, Pedal Holland, Green Commute Week, Holland, MI, City Of Holland, Michigan – City Hall, West Michigan Bike & Fitness, and Outdoor Discovery Center !!

Did you know? – Commuting by bike is a great way to make our community more sustainable. Bikes are the most energy-lean form of transportation around: not only are they human-powered, they also require only a fraction of the energy of a car to manufacture and maintain. And riding your bicycle is an unbeatable stress-buster, too – people who commute by bike reduce their stress level by a whopping 40%!

We are looking to reduce the amount of energy we all use as part of Holland’s 40-Year Community Energy Plan, and choosing alternative modes of transportation reduces our carbon footprint. So unplug, get outdoors, get healthier, and spend time with friends and family – hop on a bike for your next trip!

For information about biking in Holland visit the City’s website http://www.cityofholland.com/bikeholland
and the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council’s website http://www.the-macc.org/green-commute/

City Bike Map: http://www.cityofholland.com/sites/default/files/fileattachments/folded_bike_map_info_9.pdf

For more information about the series visit: www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute

Living Sustainably: Creative recycling can help Michigan catch up

LIVING SUSTAINABLY: Creative recycling can help Michigan catch up

By Ken Freestone, GreenMichigan.org
Rising from its Earth Day beginnings in the early 1970s, the message of “reduce, reuse and recycle” has been taught to millions through brochures, advertisements, T-shirts and countless other ways. We have come a long way from those days, but we still have much work to do, with plenty of opportunities to improve our recycling rates.
There is good reason to improve those rates, too. These benefits, below, suggest that recycling is something everyone can embrace:
 Recycling creates more jobs than disposal;
 Recycling generates income;
 Recycling uses less energy than mining, harvesting, importing and otherwise processing raw materials;
 Recycling destroys less habitat; and
 Recycling creates less greenhouse gas than landfilling.
Today, Americans recycle 34 percent of the waste they create. Michigan, however, has an estimated recycling rate of just 15 percent. And, while the U.S. recycling rate has been increasing – it was a mere 6.2 percent 50 years ago – more waste is being created than ever before, too. In total, Americans
generated 254 million tons of trash in 2013 – about 4.4 pounds per person per day.
Many European countries have developed more successful recycling programs, with Austria and Germany boasting the highest recycling rates at 63 and 62 percent, respectively.
Here are some recycling numbers to know from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality:

$435 million: The market value of recyclable metal, glass and plastic that Michigan households send to landfills every year.
45: Number of stakeholders involved in forming Michigan’s recycling plan, including recyclers, grocers, bottlers, and landfill operators.
25: Number of Michigan’s 83 counties where residents have convenient access to recycling.
Over 90 percent: Return rate for refundable bottles and cans in Michigan.
6th lowest: Michigan’s rank in recycling of the six Great Lakes states.
Many more things can be recycled than we often realize. For example:
 Goodwill takes fabrics of all kinds. Even torn and ripped clothing gets bundled and sold as scrap.
 Many arts organizations can reuse giant cardboard boxes, colored paper, books, magazines, cardboard tubes, fabric, plastic jugs and bottles for art and craft projects.
 Comprenew will take almost any old electric devices for recycling at a drop-off site and resale electronics store in Holland Township.
 The Shipping Company in Holland will accept and reuse foam peanuts.
 Backyard composting is one of the easiest ways to repurpose/recycle food and yard waste.

 Ken Freestone is co-founder of GreenMichigan.org. He has worked on environmental stewardship, trails, greenways and land protection, as well as taught as a master composter, for more than 25 years.

LEARN MORE
Here are web resources to learn more about what and how to recycle:
 Greenmichigan.org Comprehensive look at environmental solutions, including recycling.
 miottawa.org/Health/OCHD/hh_recycle.htm Ottawa County Household Hazardous Waste program guidelines, locations, links to other information.
 Michiganrecycles.org Michigan Recycling Coalition resources, including master recycler manual for individuals and business.
 Earth 911.org A national database for recycling.
 Terracycle.com Company focused on hard to recycle materials offers recycling bins for more than 100 categories of materials – even items like used markers and toothbrushes.

PHOTO CUTLINES –
deq rate chart.jpg . — Michigan has the goal of doubling its recycling rate, to 30 percent – still below the national average of 34 percent. Source: Michigan DEQ
Reclaimed3.jpg — This composting bin has the added benefit of being made from reclaimed wood.
Recycling containers.jpg. – Convenient containers can encourage easy recycling at home and work.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme:
Community & Neighborhood: The places we live and the individuals we interact with support the development of our personalities and perspectives on life. Encouraging vital and effective communities is essential.

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Living Sustainably: Water conservation is vital

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