Living Sustainably: Recycle and reuse at the ReStore

By Stacey Korecki, Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity Have you heard about the Holland ReStore and how it is a center of recycle and reuse activity? The Holland ReStore is a donation center that sells materials used in home improvement projects. Items such as new and used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials and more can be found in store. The …

LIVING SUSTAINABLY: Have yourself a merry greener Christmas!

By Anthony Aragon Orozco, Hope College Green Team The holidays are upon us! Which is also the time we might panic, wondering what am I going to get for who, how will I decorate the house, and what on earth will I make to eat for the holidays this year? I’m sure we all have our yearly …

Living Sustainably: Recycle, get new Christmas lights and save at Light Exchange

By Morgan Kelley, Holland Board of Public Works Did you know holiday string lights cannot be recycled in everyday recycling? Light strings not only contain a large amount of rubber and plastic, and sometimes glass, but also copper. These materials do not biodegrade easily, and copper is a valuable metal. But by participating in the Holiday Light …

LIVING SUSTAINABLY: You Can Stomp out a Smaller Carbon Footprint

By Karey Frink’18, Intern for the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute Carbon footprint.  This is a term we are hearing used more often, but what really does that mean? Carbon footprints are often thought about in terms of transportation habits. However, every person’s carbon footprint is comprised of much more. Here’s a complete definition from the Environmental …

Living Sustainably: HBPW wants to snuff out vampire power

By Morgan Kelley, Holland Board of Public Works Being smart about your energy use is not only easy, but saves you money. The Energy Waste Reduction programs offered by Holland Board of Public Works seek to meet goals in the City of Holland’s Community Energy Plan and Sustainability Framework by promoting affordability, sustainability, and energy efficiency for residents …

Living Sustainably: Energy seminar focuses on comfort, health, savings

By Andrea Goodell, Herrick District Library Making your home more comfortable, healthy and cost-effective doesn’t have to break the bank.  Everyone knows the No. 1 tip: Lower your thermostat a couple of degrees in winter and raise it a couple of degrees in summer. (You won’t notice the difference, but you’ll notice the savings.) There are dozens of …

JIM AND MARTIE BULTMAN STUDENT CENTER EARNS LEED GOLD CERTIFICATION

JIM AND MARTIE BULTMAN STUDENT CENTER EARNS LEED GOLD CERTIFICATION; WOOD FROM STORM-FELLED TREES LINKS PAST AND PRESENT September 17, 2018 — by Greg Olgers Organizations seeking LEED certification for their construction projects have many ways to earn it, including by using regional materials. In developing the Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center, which recently …

Living Sustainably: Holland Stands Out in Governor’s Energy Excellence Awards

By Anne Saliers, Holland Board of Public Works More finalists have been selected from Holland for the 2018 Governor’s Energy Excellence Awards than from any other city in the state. Of the 21 businesses, organizations, and individuals across the state that have been honored this year, three are from Holland, a fourth is honored because of its work …

Living Sustainably: Trees add value in Holland (Hope College Biology Student Research Project)

By Katelyn DeWitt, Hope College Biology Student Have you hugged a tree lately? This summer I have been walking around Holland doing just that. In a joint project between the City of Holland and Hope College, I have been working to census all of the trees on public property in Holland by recording every tree’s trunk diameter and …