(June 6, 2012) Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown joined together with Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Robert M. Summers and members of the Maryland Green Registry last evening to present to the third annual leadership awards. The award winners were: GM Baltimore Operations, JBS International, Inc., Life Technologies, Lucy School and Staples, Inc. Winners were chosen based on their commitment to continuous improvement and environmental results achieved over the past year. Clean Commute Awards were also given to GEICO and the Havre de Grace Seafood Festival.
More Information The Maryland Green Registry is a voluntary program launched by Governor O’Malley in 2009 as part of the Smart, Green and Growing Initiative to promote and recognize sustainable practices by organizations throughout the state. The free program offers tips and resources to help organizations set and meet their own goals on the path to sustainability. There are currently 345 organization members. The Registry is a free program that assists businesses and other organizations by promoting and recognizing their sustainable practices. Collectively, Registry members have saved over $63 million annually through their sustainable practices. Core Facts As part of their profile, Green Registry members share at least one quantitative measurement. We collect these results to demonstrate that even small efforts among a group of committed organizations can lead to impressive results and to emphasize the importance of measurement to the successful management of environmental impacts at any type and size of organization. Maryland Green Registry members are asked to share at least one quantitative measurement as part of their online profile. The following results were achieved on an annual basis between 2011-2012:- 789,000 lbs of hazardous waste reduced
- 9.1 million lbs of nonhazardous waste reduced
- 746 million lbs of non-hazardous waste recycled
- 2.7 million gallons of wastewater reduced
- 158,273 gallons of fuel saved
- 3.5 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduced
- 389 million kWh electricity saved
- 109 million gallons of water conserved
- 3.0 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) reduced
- $63 million saved!
Clean Commute Contest The Maryland Green Registry/Clean Air Partners Clean Commute Contest was created to recognize organizations that have reduced employee vehicle commute miles by encouraging employees to walk, bike, use mass transit, rideshare, telecommute or work compressed work weeks. To enter the contest, Maryland Green Registry member organizations estimated the average employee commute distance and the number of employee trips or miles eliminated each week through alternative commute options. The percentage reduction in employee commute miles was then calculated compared to a baseline of the annual mileage if all employees commuted alone in vehicles. This year, there are two winners from two very different types of organizations. The first winner is Havre de Grace Seafood Festival. They are being recognized today for having the highest percentage reduction in vehicle commute miles (69%) compared to a baseline of the annual mileage if all employees commuted alone in vehicles. The other contest winner is GEICO. GEICO is being recognized for having the highest actual reduction in employee vehicle commute miles (6.4 million) compared to a baseline of the annual mileage if all employees commuted alone in vehicles. They’ve accomplished this by being located close to transit and offering numerous incentives for employees to find alternative ways to getting to work. Quotes
"A clean environment and healthy economy go hand and hand. Maryland Green Registry member organizations are leading the way in sustainable business practices that both save money and conserve natural resources." --Anthony G. Brown, Lt. Governor, State of Maryland
“I am proud to present these awards to organizations that have displayed outstanding leadership. While they represent a variety of facility types and sizes, all the winners have several key factors in common that contribute to their success: each organization has an organization-wide commitment to environmental performance, sets annual environmental goals, and measures their results. Their commitment is outstanding and, as we can see, they are really getting results.” --Robert M. Summers, Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment
Additional Information Images See more images on our Social Media Release. Contacts Samantha Kappalmanskappalman@mde.state.md.us Jay Apperson
japperson@mde.state.md.us (410) 537-3003 Agency Information Our mission is to protect and restore the quality of Maryland's air, water and land resources, while fostering smart growth, a thriving and sustainable economy and healthy communities.
