In mid-2006, the Meridian Township Recycling Advisory Committee was formed to research and assess conditions of recycling for the township. The assessment that came back was that the business community wasn’t recycling very much. Thus in August 2007, the Meridian Commercial Recyclers Group (MCRG) subcommittee was formed to, in the words of its chair Tina Kahn, “address the needs the business community,” as they relate to increasing recycling efforts. Kahn, a staunch environmentalist who is self-employed as a massage therapist and counselor, said the MCRG’s members include the president of the Meridian Area Business Association, and representatives from the Meridian Mall, Granger, White Brothers, the Meridian Township DDA, Delta Dental and Meridian Township Manager Jerry Richards.

Their main initiative is a Green Star program. “It’s a recognition program as an incentive to kick off the idea of recycling in Meridian Township,” Kahn said. “We developed a sticker program with a decal that you can put on your window,” if you recycle two or more products, such as paper, plastic, electronics, metal or Styrofoam. They also plan to establish two higher levels for those who are recycling more products.

Their mission also includes education, encouraging and promoting opportunities for businesses to recycle, creation of various programs such as Green Star development of awards and recognition beyond Green Star, and acting as a clearinghouse of information pertaining to recycling.

Kahn said that for most businesses recycling isn’t a priority and that it’s hard to make them focus on something that costs, rather than saves, them money. However, efforts to create cooperation among businesses that are close geographically – for instance, to have five businesses share a single recycling bin or forming a buying group to purchase recycled paper–are starting to pay off. MCRG is also hoping to convince large business to support small business in their recycling efforts. Everyone sees the long-term value in recycling, Kahn said. It’s working out the logistics and justifying the costs that many businesses are struggling with.

LeRoy Harvey, part-time recycling coordinator with the township, maintains the MCRG’s website, takes minutes and sends out information. He’s also created an email list in order to share information about recycling options, such as:

1. Contract directly with a firm like Granger to take their recyclables.

2. Partner with another business in your area to share the cost. Join a “bag it” program.

3. Take recyclables to one of the many recycling centers such as those in Meridian Township, East Lansing or Delta Township.

He also said that some restaurants recycle cooking oil and grease waste. Of course, tire companies have been recycling tires for years and some dry cleaners are recycling the chemicals they use.

”Each business type has a different waste stream involved,” Harvey said. “There’s still a lot of learning going on.” Other green things that are going on in Meridian include land preservation efforts, the push to create a more walkable community and the formation of a committee that will look at possible ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

Kahn said that the “days of using resources blindly” are over. “We cannot sustain a planet this way.” She called on businesses and individuals to have a greater sense of stewardship. She reminds us that Native Americans always thought seven generations down the road in relation to how they used the land, what they took from it and what they returned to it.

Kahn is hopeful and urged everyone to “go forth and become responsible stewards of the Earth.” After all, she reminded us, “We’re all breathing the same air.”

Lansing’s Go Green! initiative

When most people in our area hear “Go Green!” they feel compelled to reply with “Go White!” But that’s changing. The City of Lansing’s Go Green! Initiative is both a battle cry and a directive, according to Taylor Heins, director of the program. Raised in Grand Ledge and holding a master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Waterloo in Canada, Heins is very excited about the prospects for making Lansing the greenest city in Michigan.

She said that Mayor Virg Bernero is one of hundreds of mayors across the country that signed the Kyoto Protocol, which compels Lansing to lower its greenhouse gases to levels 7 percent below 1990 levels. A partnership sponsored by Granger, the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Lansing Board of Water & Light and Lansing Community College, the city of Lansing is “leveraging our resources” to reach a broad range of residents and businesses in order to inform and educate people on a three-pronged approach to make the city a more environmentally friendly place to live and work.

The prongs:

1) Greening City of Lansing facilities and operations in order to make the city itself a leader in environmental responsibility;

2) Raising awareness within the community and empowering residents to take actions which will benefit the environment

3) Promoting the successes of the city, businesses, residents and schools in reducing negative environmental impacts so that others can learn from their experiences. Heins said that each person who abides by the Go Green! personal pledge (see their website for details) is “saving about one ton of CO₂ emissions each year,” and that over 2,000 residents have signed it so far. Over 100 businesses have signed the business pledge, which includes reducing waste, encouraging alternative transportation, reducing energy use and utilizing alternative energy, purchasing environmentally friendly products, implementing a recycling program and engaging in low-impact landscaping.

Studies show that a computer left continuously running will emit 2,161 pounds of CO₂ in a year and cost $45 a year to power at $0.0372 per kilowatt. By instructing employees to turn computers off at night, or have them in “hibernate” mode, there would be over 60 percent savings. Multiply that by the total number of employees who use a computer and that is serious money savings, as well as less CO₂ emissions.

Heins said that by adopting a “holistic approach… an overall strategy,” most companies find that any increased costs associated with going green (buying Energy Star® appliances, for instance) are more than offset by energy savings and, perhaps more importantly, an improved work environment.