Barbara Lee Congratulates Local Green Business Initiative
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) congratulated the Green Albany Project for its pioneering work in promoting green business practices, helping local businesses to save money and contribute to protecting the environment by recycling and composting.
“Over the last year, the Green Albany Project has demonstrated that adopting environmentally sustainable practices isn’t just a good idea, it is good for business,” said Lee. “The Green Albany Project is an outstanding example of steps that our communities can take to address the national and global challenge of developing sustainable practices in a time of diminishing natural resources.”
In just one year, with the help of Alameda County Waste Management, the project introduced new recycling and composting services to 26 local establishments within one square mile, saving nearly 900 cubic yards (about 150 tons) of waste from entering landfills. Waste Management projects that in 2006 alone, Albany's businesses will divert 1800 cubic yards (290 tons) of its solid waste toward reuse (recycling and composting) programs.
The Green Albany Project is the first project of its kind, where a chamber of commerce took the lead in “greening” a small business district, in the country.
It was launched on Earth Day 2005 as a collaborative effort of the Albany Chamber of Commerce, the City of Albany, Alameda County and Stopwaste.org under the leadership of James Carter.
Upon receipt of a grant from stopwaste.org, the Albany Green Team was assembled, comprised mostly of local youth from Albany High School and the surrounding community.
The Albany Green team then began a yearlong outreach effort, working to contact and educate local business owners on the economic and environmental benefits of going green.
“The Green Albany Project has not only made history as the first project of its kind to be completed in our country, but has demonstrated to businesses throughout the 9th Congressional District and across our country that going green is not only possible but profitable,” said Lee.
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