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General Motors (GM) Baltimore Operations, JBS International, Life Technologies, Lucy School and Staples Advantage are the winners of the third annual Maryland Green Registry Leadership Awards. The awards were presented by Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown and MDE Secretary Robert M. Summers at an event in early June at the Robinson Nature Center in Columbia.
Winning Maryland Green Registry organizations were chosen based on their commitment to continuous improvement and environmental results achieved to date. 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 a green team, maintains an organization-wide commitment to environmental performance, sets annual environmental goals and measures their results.
A profile of each of the winners is posted on the Maryland Green Registry website. GM Baltimore Operations is the Registry's first repeat winner. GM won the Leadership Award in 2010 and was recognized again this year for its strong commitment to continual improvement through a new set of projects and results.
"A clean environment and healthy economy go hand and hand,” Lt. Governor Brown said. “Maryland Green Registry member organizations are leading the way in sustainable business practices that save money and conserve natural resources."
The collective impact of these practices was made clear with the release of the 2012 annual results. For a single year, the nearly 350 participating Green Registry members reported: 789,000 pounds of hazardous waste reduced; 9.1 million pounds of nonhazardous waste reduced; 746 million pounds of non-hazardous waste recycled; 2.7 million gallons of wastewater reduced; 158,273 gallons of fuel saved; 3.5 million vehicle miles traveled reduced; 389 million kilowatt hours of electricity saved; 109 million gallons of water conserved; 3 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (greenhouse gas emissions measurements) reduced. They also reported saving $63 million.
Winners of the Registry's Clean Commute Contest were also announced at the event. Havre de Grace Seafood Festival was recognized for having the highest percentage reduction (69 percent) in employee vehicle commute miles and GEICO was recognized for having the highest actual annual reduction in employee vehicle commute miles (6.4 million miles). Information on the award winners and finalists can be found on the Registry's website.
The Maryland Green Registry is a free and voluntary program launched by Governor Martin O’Malley as part of the Smart, Green and Growing Initiative to promote and recognize sustainable practices by organizations throughout the state. The program offers tips and resources to help organizations set and meet their own goals on the path to sustainability. Organizations of all types and sizes are encouraged to join by visiting the Registry website and sharing information on at least five environmental practices and one measureable result.
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