B Green Services

Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed to make sustainability a priority, increase green jobs in Atlanta

bgreenservices — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:42:44 +0000

“We’re going to move from making sustainability an afterthought to a forethought of this administration,”said Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed during a press conference at City Hall on October 25th.

Mayor Reed has committed to raise Atlanta’s from its current ranking of 19 to a ranking of 10 among the nation’s most sustainable cities. His goals stretch from indoors to outdoors with his aim to create more green buildings as well as to reclaim and create more parks and greenspace in the city. Such targets should increase green jobs in Atlanta, improve transit, fill in gaps in local food, and hopefully increase our chances for federal funding that we’ve missed out on in the past for not being an eco-friendly enough city.

So what changes does Mayor Reed propose? Read on:

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the city 25 percent by 2020, 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050 (Reed hopes to seek state support with stricter legislation on greenhouse gases – a tall order in a state not exactly known for its environmental friendliness).
Reduce energy use for existing municipal operations 15 percent by 2020, 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050 (starting with government buildings and setting goals for departmental leadership in city agencies).
Reduce leakage from the city’s water system by 50 percent by 2015.
Make renewable energy 5 percent of total municipal use by 2015.
Bring local food within 10 minutes of 75 percent of all residents by 2020 (by encouraging grocery stores and “infill agriculture” by supporting community gardens, starting with a plot next to City Hall).

The Atlanta BeltLine is a huge project of transit, trails, and parks developed under Reed’s predecessor, Shirley Franklin, and making great strides under Reed. This project is set to impact the city in a profound way and hopefully have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions as well as the public health of our city.

This is all very big picture, which may leave you wondering “what can I do?” We at B Green Services encourage incorporating recycling into your daily habits. As simple as it is, recycling can have a profound impact on energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and landfill usage. We realize there are tons of green tips to help you save energy around your own home, but recycling happens to be our favorite – and it’s so easy! Already recycling? Thanks and keep up the good work!

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Rock for Roots: a free environmental concert in Atlantic Station

bgreenservices — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:58:27 +0000

Looking for an easy way to go green? Check out Rock for Roots – a free, all-ages, outdoor environmental concert featuring live music performances from Atlanta-native Shawn Mullins, emerging bands Alpha Rev and Grace Pottery and the Nocturnals, and the new project by music legend Chrissie Hynde, JP Chrissie and the Fairground Boys. The purpose is to highlight a real and ongoing commitment to renewable energy in Georgia as well as a celebration of Atlanta’s rich heritage in arts and culture with some great musical performances.

The show will take place on a temporary park – 20,000 square feet of sod will be laid in the parking lot and then donated to Atlanta residents on Saturday morning following the event. Also, the carbon offsets that will be available as part of the promotion for this event are “home grown” – they come from Georgia forest land about a hundred miles south of Atlanta. Specifically, the offsets are purchased from the founder of Five Points Advisors, LLC, John Ramey. Ramey originated and executed one of the largest managed forest carbon offset projects on the Chicago Climate Exchange and has spoken about managed forest carbon offsets, the importance of carbon markets for the timber industry, and the positive social and environmental aspects of offset projects at events for the Georgia Forestry Association.

So mark your calendars for Rock for Roots on September 17th, 2010 at 7 p.m. at Atlantic Station!

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Join Atlanta’s green leaders at the Green Wednesdays presented by the Green Chamber of the South

bgreenservices — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:11:36 +0000

A favorite event of B Green Services, the monthly Green Wednesdays with Green Chamber of the South present a great opportunity to learn from and network with Atlanta’s green leaders. The next event is Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 and will center around a presentation from Weston Solutions, a company that specializes in sustainable integration with business.

What: September Green Wednesday
When: Wednesday, September 1, 2010 from 11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: 5 Seasons Westside (map it!)
Cost for members: $18 ($28 at the door the day of the event)
Cost for non-members: $23 ($33 at the door the day of the event)
Presenter: Kim Veal of Weston Solutions

Look for B Green Services there – we try to make it out as often as possible!

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B Green Services supports Elemental Impact and their creation of Zero Waste Zones and soil rejuvenation and composting projects

bgreenservices — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:39:01 +0000

B Green Services is proud to announce our support and affiliation with Elemental Impact, a new Atlanta environmental organization founded by Holly Elmore, formerly of Green Foodservice Alliance. Elemental Impact’s goal consist of the following:

The creation of Zero Waste Zones around Atlanta (to create green work environments and sustainable business practices by reduce the amount of trash going to landfills through recycling and composting; and to conserve energy)
Implementing soil rejuvenation projects for the growth of local food in healthy, sustainable soils
Implementing the use of organic matter to compost and create energy (known as POWER: Perishable Organics Waste-to-Energy Recycling)

You can find out more about Elemental Impact on their website, www.ElementalImpact.org, and if you’re interested in moving your business towards a Zero Waste Zone model, please email or call B Green Services and let’s talk about how we can help your company recycle and cut down on your waste!

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B Green Services is proud to be a Champion for the Partnership for a Sustainable Georgia!

bgreenservices — Tue, 11 May 2010 02:53:30 +0000

B Green Services is proud to announce our new status as a Champion for the Partnership for a Sustainable Georgia! We have made a commitment to help the Sustainability Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources encourage participation in this voluntary Partnership, which helps companies find ways to cut costs, reduce waste streams, increase energy and water efficiency, and improve operations through environmental excellence. Click here for more information about the Partnership for a Sustainable Georgia.

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A word about biodegradable plastics made from corn, or PLA

bgreenservices — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:26:33 +0000

As you go out to eat or take a quick pass through the drive through, you may notice the rise of compostable, plastic cups. These plastics to go cups are made from corn and meant to biodegrade back into the ground instead of permeating our landfills with their lingering existence.

Here are some details on compostable containers :

Corn plastics are made from (beginning to end) carbon dioxide and water > cornstarch > dextrose (which is then fermented) > lactic acid > polylactide (PLA).
Unlike regular plastics, which are made from oil, corn plastics are 100% biodegradable and compostable. And since corn is renewable, it is a more sustainable source than regular petroleum-based plastic.
It can take up to 45 days or so for items to biodegrade in a commercial composting facility and a little longer in a home bin. In a landfill, PLA items will react as if they were food, although landfills aren’t designed for biodegrading (and apparently, in a home composting bin, they can take a much lengthier amount of time).
PLA products are also becoming more competitively priced with traditional plastics (PET) than they have been in the past, making it a more viable option for businesses looking for green, earth-friendly products.

We’re happy to say that we find compostable containers in some of the restaurant clients of B Green Services and we thank them for their environmental effort!

Many sources contain information on PLA and compostable containers – the above info is courtesy of Biodegradable Store (where you can also buy PLA products).

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Atlanta Earth Hour 2010 is coming this Saturday, March 27th!

bgreenservices — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:23:56 +0000

Will your house or business be dark this Saturday, March 27th for Earth Hour 2010? Businesses across Atlanta (and the world) are committing to turning off their lights completely for just one hour this year to show what an environmental impact we can all make and to show support for the green movement. Turning off lights and appliances when not in use is one of the simplest eco-friendly steps you can take to help prevent climate change!

So when do you flip the switch? AT 8:30 p.m. local time this Saturday, March 27th, 2010 – where ever you’re located. Find great information on the website www.myearthhour.org and sign up to show your support. Watch the nationwide map change colors as states go green. Georgia is definitely turning green!

Follow Atlanta’s Earth Hour on twitter @EarthHourATL!

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Here’s how to sign up for residential recycling curbside services in DeKalb County!

bgreenservices — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:30:11 +0000

Whether you’ve just moved to Atlanta or have lived here a while and are making the environmentally-friendly switch to recycling, it’s easy to get your residential recycling services started in DeKalb County! DeKalb County’s comprehensive recycling program is available for residents of unincorporated DeKalb and the cities of Lithonia and Dunwoody (all residents who receive solid waste services from DeKalb’s Sanitation Division).

The cost to subscribe to curbside services is $30 total, with $15 going towards the rental of the blue paper bin from the county and $15 going towards 100 big blue bags for co-mingled recycling. DeKalb County’s Sanitation Division handles the program and you can get the full details on signing up on their website here. This fee is good indefinitely – you just pay $15 for another set of 100 bags when you run out of them.

What can be recycled?
The sanitation Division has an extensive list on their website of what can and cannot be recycled. Here is an overview:

All grades of paper (newspaper, phone books, magazines, office paper, cardboard, junk mail)
All glass beverage bottles
All plastic containers with recycle symbols 1 through 7 (no containers or plastics with food residue or motor oil, petroleum products, etc.)
All steel, tin, and aluminum cans

When does the curbside recycling get picked up?
DeKalb picks up the recycling in the blue bins and big blue bags every Wednesday, however, you will want to consult the holiday calendar online for adjusted schedules due to federal holidays.

Why recycle anyway?
Recycling reduces the amount of waste in our rapidly-filling landfills and preserves the natural resources used to make products by reusing existing materials. This leads to a cleaner environment and a better future for generations to come.

A few quick recycling facts…

Residential waste (household trash) accounts for approximately 56% of all of the types of waste that goes to DeKalb County’s Seminole Landfill.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2006, U.S. residents, businesses and institutions produced more than 251 million tons of trash, which is approximately 4.6 pounds of waste per person every single day.
Aluminum cans are unique because they can recycled forever, and the can that you recycle today can be turned into a new can and be back on the shelves in 60 days!
According to the Aluminum Association, in 2003, 4 billion aluminum cans were recycled, saving the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil – which is roughly America’s entire gas consumption for one day!
On November 15, 2007, the first “America Recycles Day” was celebrated in thousands of communities nationwide.

Additional recycling resources
You can also find additional recycling drop-off points throughout DeKalb County. All fire stations have mixed paper recycling as do most county public buildings - get the full list of locations here! You can also check www.earth911.com for specific recycling drop-off locations for items that may not be accepted by DeKalb County (for instance, you can recycle incandescent lightbulbs at Home Depots throughout the area, you can recycle batteries at certain locations, etc.). You will always want to check on where to get rid of car motor oil and other petroleum products as those call for special disposal.

Happy recycling!

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Network with other eco-friendly Atlanta businesses during Green Chamber of the South’s Green Wednesdays!

bgreenservices — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:43:21 +0000

You have to eat lunch, right? So why not take one lunch a month and join fellow environmental advocates at the Green Chamber of the South’s Green Wednesday? Regularly occurring on the first Wednesday of every month, Green Wednesdays are a great way to network as well as find out the latest in eco-friendly news around Atlanta, updates from major sustainability players, and more! Doors open at 11:45 a.m. and the lunch and program last until 1:30 p.m. Preregistration is required or Price at the door is $2 for members and $30 for non-members.

The past several months have had an impressive array of speakers, including the Director of the Sustainability Division for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Director of Program Development at Southface, Georgia Power, and more! Last Wednesday featured Thatcher Young, the Director of Sustainability for Ignition.

And keep an eye out for B Green Services at Green Wednesdays, too! We try to attend each month. You can get more information on Green Chamber of the South’s website here. See you there!

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Don’t throw away that plastic water bottle! Recycling even one plastic bottle can have a profound impact

bgreenservices — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:12:43 +0000

It’s all-too-easy to pick up a quick plastic water bottle at the grocery store or gas station, and it’s even easier to think, “oh, it’s just one bottle – how much difference can one bottle really make?” The good people at Online Education put together an infographic to illustrate the facts about bottled water and address that very question.

Here, you can see the true impact of plastic water bottles on the environment – from the creation of the bottles themselves, to the tap water used to fill many of them up, to the consequences of only recycling 1 in 5 water bottles.

Luckily, this is one of the easiest things to fix - by not buying bottled water and by encouraging others to recycle theirs (sometimes you have to help a friend out and just recycle it for them, too)!

Think your one water bottle can't make an environmental impact? Think again, as this chart counts the ways that plastic water bottles are damaging in too many ways.

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