GF logo grab
September 2013
WasteWaste and Recycling Rate Hikes in San Francisco - What You Can Do
 
Waste and recycling costs went up in San Francisco on July 1 due to rate hikes by Recology, the city's hauler. For commercial clients, this includes a 5% increase in the base rate, among other adjustments. Businesses can expect to see significant increases in their bill.

"The rate hike has disheartened many who have been doing all the right things working towards the city's zero-waste goal," says Todd Sutton in Great Forest's San Francisco office.
 
NewNew Bronx Facility With Optical Sorter May Change the Way NYC Recycles (Video)
A new state-of-the-art single-stream recycling center in the Bronx, New York, utilizes optic technology to automate the recycling process and extract more recyclable materials from the waste stream.
 
Action Environmental Group's facility, the only one of its kind in the region and "arguably the country," allows clients to use one bin for recyclables. 
 
The optical sorter works using infrared technology combined with a high speed camera to identify items (such as magazines, newspapers, colored paper) and separate them from the mix. Watch this video to see the optical sorter at work. 
 
Call your Great Forest representative to see how this affects your waste and recycling program.
BostonBoston Tops in Energy Efficiency. How Did Your City Score? 
In a ranking of 34 of the country's largest cities, Boston has emerged on top for its efforts to reduce energy use, according to a new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. How did your city score? Check this interactive scorecard to see how your city is saving energy.
 
Other cities moving ahead with energy-saving steps such as bike-sharing, tougher building codes, electric vehicle charging stations and cool roofs include Portland, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Austin. 
RecycleTowering Display Reminds Office Workers To Recycle
 
Plastic bottle recycling sculpture
Office workers at one NYC skyscraper certainly got the message about recycling this month. They could not miss the 10-foot-high display of used plastic bottles that greeted them in the lobby each day for a week as they arrived for work. The attention-getting display was created over three days and installed by Great Forest.


"The building has a great recycling program but recently they began to notice a lot more recyclables in the trash. So we created this display for them to show the cumulative result of what happens when people forget to recycle," says Great Forest recycling consultant Sandra Robishaw, who is also an artist.
 
"Each bottle misplaced in the trash adds up to a mountain of recyclable bottles headed to the landfill. The visual impact of this tower of bottles gets the message across even to busy workers rushing through the lobby."

The display is part of Great Forest's Education and Outreach
service. Besides bottles, Great Forest has also created displays out of cardboard, cups and other materials to send different messages.
EnergyNationwide Energy News

ChicagoChicago introduces "pubic shaming" energy benchmarking laws
Starting next year, owners of buildings in Chicago larger than 50,000 square feet will be required to disclose energy use through EPA's Energy Star Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool. Opponents have called this a kind of "public shaming" but evidence seems to show that benchmarking is working. >> Find out how much energy use declined
 

Washington, D.C. enters 2nd year of benchmarking

Take note if you have buildings in D.C.  The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) will be publishing the results of public building benchmarking.  The first year of commercial disclosure (over 150,000 SF) coincides with the second year of District building reporting. By 2014, all District buildings over 50,000 square feet will fall under this requirement. 

NYNew York launches $1 billion Green Bank to transform energy system

Looking to encourage the growth of clean energy beyond the current incentive model, New York has launched a $1 billion Green Bank to fund clean energy projects.  The bank is expected to open for business in early 2014. >> Read more

 

NYCNYC heads into accelerated compliance for Local Law 87

NYC LL87 (2009) compliance and resulting efficiency work is well underway with our covered 2013 client properties. See audit submittal forms here. While New York will likely have to wait a few more years to see the benefits from large scale efficiency efforts undertaken, hints of what is to come can be seen in a case study of San Francisco, which has had energy audits and benchmarking on the books since 2007. >> Read more

 

Philadelphia's best practices lab
Established in 2011 by the Department of Energy, Philadelphia's Energy Efficient Buildings Hub is a multi-year research, development, and demonstration initiative focused on developing the means and methods to reduce energy use in commercial buildings by 20% by 2020. Currently two demonstration buildings (one retrofit and one new construction) are being created and are expected to be ready by spring 2014. Check the EEB Hub site for various useful resources and reports.  
VacuumVacuum Trash Tubes of the Future?

Instead of being transported on garbage trucks, your trash could very soon be shot through vacuum tubes. A new report documents the feasibility of installing pneumatic tubes in existing infrastructure in NYC--such as the High Line or the Second Avenue Subway--to transport waste Jetsons style.

 

The report was produced by the University Transportation Research Center for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), with input and review by Great Forest. 

 

If implemented, it would reduce the number of garbage trucks on NYC's streets and could offer significant environmental, public-health, and quality-of-life benefits. Read the full report.
QAQ&A: Should our business switch to LED lighting?
 
If your commercial office building or business is planning a lighting upgrade, you can't beat LED lighting. According to the Energy Star website, LED commercial light fixtures offer an unprecedented opportunity to save energy, maintenance and cooling costs and is a natural fit for cutting-edge renovation, new construction projects, or easy retrofits.
  • Reduces energy costs - uses at least 75% less energy than incandescent lighting, saving on operating expenses.
  • Reduces maintenance costs - lasts 35 to 50 times longer than incandescent lighting and about 2 to 5 times longer than fluorescent lighting. No bulb-replacements, no ladders, no ongoing disposal program.
  • Reduces cooling costs - LEDs produce very little heat.
  • Is guaranteed - comes with a minimum three-year warranty - far beyond the industry standard.
  • Offers convenient features - available with dimming on some indoor models and automatic daylight shut-off and motion sensors on some outdoor models.
  • Is durable - won't break like a bulb.
As with any new technology, research a product extensively before purchasing. If you perform a lighting upgrade, remember to recycle any fluorescent bulbs as they contain mercury and must be disposed of properly.
Great Forest Inc.
212.779.4757
2014 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10035

A pioneer in the industry with over 20 years of experience, Great Forest is one of the leading sustainability consultancies in the country. We improve environmental performance and reduce costs for clients nationwide ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to property management companies, hotels, retailers, financial and educational institutions, and municipalities. 
STAY CONNECTED

Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter