As part of this year's GreenNY Forum, we challenged sustainability coordinators from agencies across the state to submit photos of their teamwork and successful sustainability projects. Coordinators then voted for the top submissions in two categories: Sustainability Teamwork (Category 1) and Successful Sustainability Projects (Category 2). The results are highlighted below!
Winners (tie)
NYSERDA
This photo shows NYSERDA’s Sustainability Team (and Marketing Staff) highlighting our recycling program, which we’ve refined several times to get to where we are now. Our improvements consist of specific bin types and signage that incorporates advice from staff with expertise in behavioral change resulted in more uptake in recycling and an improvement in recycling accuracy.
Suffolk County Community College
Since 2016, all three Suffolk Campuses have been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation & NYS DEC as a Tree Campus USA member. The program honors colleges and universities and their leaders for effectively managing trees on campus and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.
Runner Up
New York State Parks
Evangola State Park Solar Installation: Cynthia Bensburg and Rich Bruni from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation’s Energy & Sustainability Bureau adjust solar panels during an installation at Evangola State Park in OPRHP’s Niagara region. OPRHP employees installed the 45kW system on the roof of the maintenance building in January 2019. The array is currently producing power and is estimated it will save the agency $4,600 every year in utility bills.
Winner
NYSERDA
NYSERDA began offering workplace charging a few years ago as an employee benefit. Since deploying the program, the number of staff seeing the value in owning and driving EVs has increased exponentially. As a result, NYSERDA has expanded the number of charging stations and ports to meet the growing need. We now have seven stations dedicated to employees’ use during work hours and over 20 EV drivers, some of who are pictured here. They are truly ELECTRIFIED by the opportunity to promote cleaner forms of transportation!
Runner Up
Buffalo State College
Composting food scraps at our childcare center on campus. The youngest members of our campus are learning and participating in our composting efforts.