Are You Ready For America Recycles Day?
 Thousands of recycling events are held across the country around November 15 each year to mark America Recycles Day.
Want to get people talking about your organization's recycling? Try creating a big statement in the lobby (like this recycling structure on the left), or organize a small educational event just for your office.
You can even do something as simple as sharing these 30-second animated recycling videos to get the conversation going.
Here are a few additional resources:
 >>Get More Ideas
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Two-Week Extension To Apply For 2013 ENERGY STAR
With the federal government shutdown over, access to the EPA's Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool is now restored.
The deadline to apply for 2013 ENERGY STAR certification has been extended. Commercial buildings now have until Wednesday, December 4 to apply. Read the ENERGY STAR notice here.
Access to Great Forest's Sustainability Metrics platform and Utility Tracking System continued unabated throughout the shutdown period. Clients can access their archived data through Great Forest at any time. If you have any questions about your energy data, contact Sheila Sweeney or Anna Dengler.
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Time to Recertify Your LEED Building?
 | | 900 Third Avenue |
Is your LEED status about to expire? For a small but growing number of buildings, the answer is Yes. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED: EB O&M) requires recertification every five years.
Recertification takes about a year to complete so if your building obtained LEED on or before 2009, it is time to start the process. (Read 3 reasons to recertify)
Nationwide, only 21 buildings have maintained their LEED status. Paramount Group's 900 Third Avenue is the latest building, and one of only three buildings in NYC to have achieved LEED recertification. Great Forest managed both the original certification and the recertification process for the building.
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NYC's Food Waste Challenge Enters Next Phase - Data Collection
This month, Great Forest participated in a waste audit of ten restaurants that are part of NYC's Food Waste Challenge to collect data that will give the city a better idea of how the program is making a difference as part of PlaNYC 2030.
Great Forest has been advising the NYC Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability on the development and implementation of the ambitious citywide challenge, which launched earlier this year. .. >>Read More
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Solar Thermal Hot Water Systems: A Cushion Against Disasters like Hurricane Sandy?
If buildings affected by hurricane Sandy and other disasters had solar thermal hot water systems, they might have stood a better chance of not losing all of their domestic hot water service. This was particularly the case with electric and oil-fired systems, where deliveries were severely interrupted.
With a range of incentives encouraging the switch to solar thermal (such as NYC's solar empowerment zone) as well as federal benefits that expire in 2016, now is the time to see if solar thermal makes sense for your building.
Need property data? The CUNY interactive online solar map "...allows users to estimate the solar energy potential for every building in New York City's five boroughs by inputting an address... >>Read More.
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New Composting Facilities Expected in MD, MA, NJ
The nation's composting infrastructure will increase by 2015 when a new facility opens in Maryland, with plans for more in Freeport, Massachusetts and Northern New Jersey.
The Peninsula Compost Group announced last month that they are building a new commercial composting facility in Prince George County, Maryland. Located in an old gravel pit, it will be sized to accept 400 tons of food scraps and yard trimmings per day, or 100,000 tons per year.
This will increase composting capacity in the Mid-Atlantic region, which currently has only two facilities that will take commercial food scraps... >>Read More.
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Q&A: Which is a Better Environmental Choice for my Building: Electric Hand Dryers or Paper Towels?
 | | image from www.greenlifestylemag.com.au |
While electric hand dryers and paper towels both come with environmental costs, there appears to be a clear winner in this debate: hand dryers.
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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.
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