GreenSpot

5 Things you can do right now to be green!

1. Use timers with your holiday lighting.
2. Compost your food scraps.
3. Carry reusable water bottle and utensils. 
4. Recycle Right.
5. Buy cloths from thrift stores and re-gift old ones.
6. Extra Credit: have a big veggie salad for lunch!

For more than 40 different ideas to go green check out our MyGreenSpot page.

Plastic-free in the bathroom?                                      

Reducing the amount of plastic in your life is good for the planet and our community. Below are some items which you can switch to plastic free!

• Soap. Is that bar of soap wrapped in plastic? If so, consider purchasing soap that is sold in a paper wrapper or cardboard. Additionally, ditch the plastic soap dispenser and put out a bar of hand soap.
• Shampoo. There are shampoo bars you can use that will displace that plastic shampoo bottle.
• Mouthwash. Check with your dentist, but a simple solution of xylitol, water, and a couple drops of essential oil can do that trick. No more plastic mouthwash bottles to deal with!
• Dental floss. Skip the plastic and go for the compostable silk floss.
• Toothbrush. You can purchase a toothbrush with a bamboo handle or one that has replaceable heads.
• Shaving. Try a shaving bar instead of shaving cream that comes in a plastic tube or bottle and skip the plastic razors and try a safety razor instead.
• Toilet paper. Some toilet paper comes wrapped in plastic. Ditch it and go with TP that is wrapped in paper.
• Deodorant. This is probably the most difficult. There are alternatives that come in tins or you can make your own (search the internet).

New Homeowner Green Guide

Whether buying your first house or tenth, GreenSpot's New Homeowner Green Guide is meant to help you make your home a little more sustainable. Check out ways to conserve and protect water, conserve energy, reduce waste, and green your transportation. Whether you are new to going green or an old pro, this guide has something for everyone! By adopting sustainable practices you are saving money, improving our environment, and setting an example for your neighbors. Remember, it only takes one to inspire many.

Download the New Homeowner Green Guide(PDF, 17MB).

Start a Green Team at Work

Looking to start a sustainability journey at your organization? This 14-page Green Team guide(PDF, 2MB) is easy way to start. The guide provides ideas and examples of how a business can structure a green team to advance sustainability at that business. Each business is different. What works in one may not work in another and the speed at which goals are met will vary. Remember that while being sustainable takes time and requires a long term commitment from all levels of an organization, a green team can help advance key initiatives. When promoting sustainability internally try to tie it to the mission, goals, and initiatives of your business.

Benefits of a Sustainability Manager position and Starting a Green Team at Work

Is your business looking to create a sustainability manager position? That role plays a critical component within any organization. They help ensure that a business is committed to an agenda that will lead to a secure future, target and eliminate wasting resources, and help overall operations. Check out our Benefits of a Sustainability Manager video which highlights the benefits of a sustainability manager position. Check out this accompanying Business Case for a Sustainability Manager document(PDF, 3MB).

Starting a green team at work can be a daunting task. Where do you start? Who do you include? What type of structure is right for you? With the help of the GreenSpot Advisory Board we have come up with a how-to guide to start your own green team at work. This guide covers how to tailor your message to each department, tips on forming a green team, areas to focus on, implementing ideas, tracking success, and more! The 14-page Green Team guide(PDF, 2MB) is easy to follow and can set up for launching your own green team. Check it out!

GreenSpot Sustainable Business Class

In the past GreenSpot offered a course that meets once a month for six months to go over the application, bring in technical experts, and is a forum for business-to-business learning.  All six classes are mandatory and class size is usually no more than ten organizations. 2024 will see a new take on the business class, so stay tuned. View the past graduates of the course and additional resources here.

GreenSpotLight Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2023 GreenSpotLight award winners! Council President Pro Tem Dorans recognized three businesses on their successes over the past year.

• White Castle
• MJ Designs
• Energility

See the press release(PDF, 305KB). Check out the Winners' Highlight document(PDF, 2MB) for a detailed look at their success.

Attendees heard from Columbus Public Utilities Director Kristen Atha about the Sustainable Columbus' successes. Brooke White, co-chair of the GreenSpot Advisory Board, presented on the GreenSpot 2022 achievements. Attendees where treated to a trivia game-congrats to those winners. The event was held at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. Thank you to the event sponsors: Sage Sustainable Electronics and VS Engineering. Thanks to the trivia prize sponsors, CeraNet and Rewash Refillery.

Watch the recorded event. View previous winners.

GreenSpot Advisory Board

The GreenSpot Advisory Board (GSAB) had much success in 2022. They promoted Earth Day events, assisted with the GreenSpotLight Awards Celebration, planned 5 GreenSpot Conversations, 5 GreenSpot tours, assisted with the Urban Heat Island mapping project, reached out to minority youth, promoted the Lawn Mower Exchange, held a GreenSpot Sustainable Business Class reunion, and promoted several social media campaigns.

We are proud of our board members! There are citizens as well as organizations such as Grange Insurance Audubon Center, The Ohio Nature Conservancy, Smart Columbus, OBLSK, MORPC, Green Columbus, Franklin County Public Health, Franklin Park Conservatory, Hikma, COSI, Councilmember Remy's office, Columbia Gas of Ohio, The Ohio State University, Huntington Bank, Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services, Sage Sustainable Electronics, Bronzeville Growers Market, OhioHealth, Motherful, Simply Living, Keep Columbus Beautiful, Ohio Hispanic Coalition, and several city departments.

Moving forward in 2023 the GSAB is looking at developing a community of climate leaders along with the Columbus Climate Action Plan, assist in efforts to reduce recyclables that go to the landfill, assist with increasing the tree canopy and reducing the heat island effect, increasing neighborhood participation in GreenSpot Neighborhood, highlight ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) and B Corp designations, develop a "What is GreenSpot" video, student outreach, and increasing the benefits of membership.

In addition to having more than 25,000 members and locations, GreenSpot has many 2023 successes:

• 3 GreenSpotLight Award Winners
• 8 eNewsletters
• 30 GreenSpot Advisory Board members
• 71 lawn mower exchange rebates
• 1,590 participants; 815 rebates GreenSpot Community Backyards rebates
• GreenSpot Clintonville successes
• Progress on the Climate Action Plan 1.1 Empower a Community of Climate Leaders
• Earth Day Service Site
• 52 tabling/presentations in the community
• Urban Heat Island educational campaign and engagement planning for launch in 2024
• ESG white paper
• 12s of CoGo Bike Share annual memberships distributed