Residents & Businesses

Tips & Resources

Residents: Sustainability at Home

Core Metrics

• Water Waste: The average household wastes 9,400 gallons of water annually from internal plumbing leaks (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2023, 2024).
• Emissions Impact: A typical passenger vehicle emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide every single year (Atlantic International University [AIU], 2022; EPA, 2023).
• Financial Cost: A typical family of four tosses out $1,500 worth of food every year (EPA, 2024).

Action Plan & Tips

Energy & Travel Efficiency

• Checkout MORPC's Gohio Commute program to see the financial and environmental benefits of changing commuting habits!
• Unplug "vampire" electronics using power strips to halt idle electricity consumption (United Nations [UN], 2023).
• Switch solo commutes to biking, walking, or public transit once per week whenever possible (World Resources Institute [WRI], 2021).
• Combine your weekly errands into a single, pre-planned driving route (EPA, 2023).

Water Conservation & Quality

• Drop food coloring into your toilet tank to check for hidden flapper leaks (EPA, 2023).
• Install low-flow aerators on faucets to instantly cut sink water consumption (EPA, 2024).
• Encourage “5 minute” showers
• Water off while brushing!
• Sweep your driveway with a broom instead of spraying it down with a hose (EPA, 2024).

Businesses: Sustainability at Work

Core Metrics

• System Upgrades: Commercial structures can cost-effectively reduce overall energy demand by 30 percent via targeted retrofits (EPA, 2016, 2022).
• Lighting Savings: Upgrading facilities to industrial commercial LED lighting reduces energy lighting costs by up to 60 percent (Department of Energy [DOE], 2023).
• Landfill Volume: Food waste constitutes 24.1 percent of municipal solid waste taking up space in landfills (EPA, 2024).

Action Plan & Tips

Energy & Travel Efficiency

• Install occupancy sensors in corridors and restrooms to lower lighting costs by up to 65% (EPA, 2016).
• Schedule an energy audit with your local utility provider to maximize hardware rebates (EPA, 2022).
• Employer Offer subsidized transit passes or remote work options to drop employee commuting emissions (WRI, 2021).

Water Conservation & Quality

• Upgrade facility restrooms with smart, low-flow commercial toilets and sensor-activated faucets (EPA, 2023).
• Sweep outdoor walkways daily to stop chemical runoff from reaching municipal storm drains (EPA, 2024).
• Review your property's water meter during closed weekend hours to confirm zero hidden pipeline leaks (EPA, 2023).

Schools: Students, Teachers & Administrators

Core Metrics

• School Cafeteria Waste: Food discarded in K-12 cafeterias equals roughly 530,000 tons per year (World Wildlife Fund [WWF], 2024).
• Plastic Bottle Energy: Recycling just 10 single-use plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a student's laptop for 25 hours (Environmental Law Institute [ELI], 2023).
• Recycling Confusion: Roughly 62% of people worry about recycling incorrectly, causing major contamination in public school bins (Purdue University Global, 2023).  

Action Plan & Tips

Energy & Travel Efficiency

• Appoint student "Energy Captains" to shut down classroom lights, screens, and projectors before lunch (EPA, 2016).
• Organize "Walk or Bike to School" weeks to lower morning drop-off traffic lines (WRI, 2021).
• Utilize natural daylighting by adjusting window blinds before turning on high-overhead fixtures (EPA, 2016).

Water Conservation & Quality

• Report dripping school fountains to the maintenance team immediately to prevent water waste (EPA, 2023).
• Plant native flower gardens on school grounds that thrive entirely on local rainfall (UN, 2023).
• Use refillable water bottles at school bottle-filling stations to prevent single-use plastic waste (ELI, 2023). 

GreenSpot for Kids

Started in 2011, the GreenSpot for Kids program engages children on how they can help the Earth. In 2017 it expanded to include activities and lesson plans for a K-12 educators to engage their students.

Our cute ambassador, GreenSpot, was inspired by students. Get to know him better by reading the GreenSpot and the Dots Book(PDF, 3MB) and find out what it means to be green. Students (and adults alike) can become green and have a positive impact in the neighborhoods we live in.

We encourage your family to join the Columbus GreenSpot Program. If all of us work together, we can keep Columbus green, and we’ll continue to have a beautiful place to live, work and play.

Teacher Resources

There are many resources available for your classroom or group. Special call out! The GreenSpot Advisory Board compiled a list of local organizations that offer lesson plans and activities for K-12 educators. Take a look at the Green lesson plans flyer(PDF, 882KB) and the Green lesson plans and activities spreadsheet(PDF, 684KB).

A few additional resources:

• 24x18 Activity Poster(PDF, 396KB)
• Columbus Green Walks School Tour(PDF, 2MB) (learn about energy, water, transportation, and recycling) which includes worksheets on mapping your own route, creating your own storyboard, and natural resources.
• Community Resource Guide(PDF, 222KB) covering presentations, field trips, grants, supplies and services, reading recommendations for kids, and events.  

Green Tips for Kids

GreenSpot for Kids came together because of a partnership between Mayor Andrew J. Ginther's Columbus GreenSpot program and the Ohio Environmental Education Fund.