The results are in for the 2013-2014 Green Workplace Challenge, and seven local organizations have been honored for their environmentally friendly facility improvements.
FedEX Ground, DMI Companies, Pashek Associates, Allegheny County, the University of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, and Conservation Consultants Inc. received the highest scores in their various categories of competition.
This was the Sustainable Pittsburgh’s second Green Workplace Challenge, said the non-profit’s Communications Manager Ginette Walker Vinski. The challenge was open to any southwestern PA business, university, non-profit, or municipality. Sustainable Pittsburgh created a list of “green actions” that organizations could complete, with each action tied to a certain number of points. The organization with the most points won its category.
Participants measured and sought to improve their performance in energy use, water use, waste production, and transportation efficiency over a 12-month period.
“It’s really impressive to see the grand impact that these 51 participants made, not only on their own organizational sustainability but on the region’s sustainability,” said Walker Vinski. “It’s also important to know that there’s a coordinated regional multi-sector effort to measure progress in becoming more sustainable here in Southwestern Pennsylvania.”
Walker Vinski explained that while all the participants helped the environment, some also helped their bottom lines. One participating company found a water leak after tracking their water usage for the challenge. “They were able to get it fixed, and automatically they were saving so much more in terms of water…and money,” said Walker Vinski.
Walker Vinski said Sustainable Pittsburgh plans to launch another challenge in Fall 2014.
