MARC is first to become certified in GBP
Local businesses in GLEE’s pilot Green Business Partner (GBP) program are learning that it can be easy being green (Sorry Kermit!) as they take the steps to qualify for a Green Business Certification.
Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens (MARC) formed a green team in May and began making adjustments to their operation by following the checklist and other tools provided by the program. MARC passed their on-site assessment with flying colors in August, as many of the changes they implemented were added to the green practices already being taken at the facility.
“We are now recycling, have started composting our food waste from the café, have put two rainbarrels to work and installed low-flow faucet aerators on all sinks to help us conserve water,” said JoEll Bradbury, MARC’s Green Team leader. These are just a few of the steps MARC staff identified as ways to improve their 90,000 square foot operation that includes offices, a plant store, nursery, café and classrooms. Three energy-saving tankless water heaters were installed when the agency moved into the May Sands facility several years ago, and the AC units throughout the facility rate at least 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating), which is a ratio of BTUs of cooling divided by energy used. The most efficient AC SEER is 23.
Aluminum cans used at MARC were already being recycled by client/entrepreneur Dan Dell of Dan’s Cans, but by establishing a recycling account with WM and composting food scraps, the agency is saving a small dollar amount each year through waste reduction. However, the “green” savings in CO2 are even more significant as MARC continues to reduce waste, while conserving energy and natural resources.
The Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center completed the GLEE Green Business Partner program requirements within weeks of receiving the tools. Staff at the 1,500 square-foot facility have vowed to continue to make improvements as funds become available.
The chamber was already using low-flow (1 gal. per min.) faucet aerators and low-flow toilets (1.6 gal. per flush) in the visitor center bathrooms. They have also set up a recycling account with WM and are now considering downsizing their dumpster to a 95 gallon tote due to less waste through recycling. The Green Team, with the help of chamber directors, improved their energy conservation with new weather stripping on doors and windows, and will gradually install T-8 florescent lighting, which consumes 40 percent less energy than the T-12 lamps they’ll be replacing.
The team learned through a free KEYS Energy audit that they can also save money by adding insulation to their ceiling. It is estimated that energy consumption can be reduced by 20 to 40 percent when the ceiling and attic are properly insulated. Other savings will come from turning down the temperature on the water heater to 120 degrees and installing a timer so that water is heated only during business hours.
“We have a couple of AC units that are old and will be replaced with Energy Star units when the time comes,” said Carole Stevens, LKCC Executive Director. Stevens will also look into what becomes of the grass clippings from their picnic area and consider using it as a natural mulch rather than adding it to the waste stream. Plastic water bottles at board meetings will be replaced by a pitcher of water and reusable cups.
The Green Business Partner program will become available to all Florida Keys’ businesses in October, once the businesses in the pilot have completed the process and details of the program are in place.
For more information, write to GLEE Program Coordinator Bridget McDonald at info@KeysGLEE.com.
“Benefits for businesses who participate in the program are many,” said McDonald. “It’s a good way for businesses to tighten their belts, but it also instills an awareness of the impact we have on our local environment and how we can improve.”