Focus on Sustainability
Mark your calendars for the Second Annual Akridge Client Sustainability Forum. This event brings together Akridge Clients throughout the portfolio in an effort to gather information, exchange ideas on sustainable practices and listen to industry experts. It will be held on the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day–Thursday, April 22–in the conference center at 900 Seventh Street, NW, at 8:30 am.
All Clients are invited to this event. If you would like to attend the forum, please contact your Property Manager or e-mail the Akridge Green Team at greenteam@akridge.com.
New 2010 Structure for Akridge Green TeamIntroducing New Co-Chairs and Sub-Committees
The Akridge Green Team is following up its successful 2009 campaign with new leadership and the creation of sub-committees to oversee and implement the numerous goals and initiatives the group hopes to accomplish in 2010.
Todd Anderson and Katie Wood of the Property Management department will be the new co-chairpersons for 2010. They will oversee the Green Team sub-committees and keep all initiatives on track. Todd and Katie take over for the 2009 co-chairs, Danielle Jones and Jennifer Laforest, who established the foundation for many of the successful endeavors the group completed in 2009. The Green Team extends its thanks to Danielle and Jennifer for their past leadership.
The new sub-committees were created to divide the many tasks taken on by last year’s leadership. Individuals from each department were chosen to be responsible for the creation of the initiatives within the sub-committees. These sub-committees, their co-chairs and a brief explanation of their responsibilities are as follows:
Internal Relations: Todd Shaffer and Teri Speight–Earth Week campaign, Akridge office activities, internal education.Client Relations: Mike Reilly, Todd Anderson and Katie Wood–vendor relations, investor report assistance, investigation of and reporting on green initiatives within the Property Management department
External Relations: Danielle Jones and Jennifer Laforest–client forum, external education, award submissions
Webmaster: Lesley Morrison–update of the Akridge green website, marketing of website to Clients, marketing liaison.
Be on the lookout for great things to come from the Akridge Green Team in 2010. If you are interested in being a part of our team, please email us at greenteam@akridge.com.
1121 Properties–Waste Stream AuditDecember 2009, 1121 Properties, LLC, located at 1121 Fourteenth Street, NW, conducted a waste stream audit as part of the building LEED performance period. A waste stream audit is an exercise that identifies and quantifies the contents of a building’s waste stream (trash). A “high-performing” building is any building that diverts a minimum of 50% of its waste from landfills by utilizing recycling, composting, and other reduction measures.
1121’s waste stream audit was completed by Blue Planet Inc. During the waste stream audit, Blue Planet came to the building in the evening and weighed all trash and recycling that the janitorial staff removed from Client space. Then, all of the trash was sorted and materials that should have been recycled, instead of thrown away, were analyzed. We are happy to report that only a minimal amount of recyclables were recovered from the trash.
Additionally, Blue Planet reported that 1121 Fourteenth Street recycles 57% of all waste generated by the building and is considered a high performing building in Washington DC. The building staff is utilizing this information to further educate and motivate the building Clients to increase recycling efforts and reduce waste sent to landfills.
Skip the Bag, Save the River
Akridge is committed to being a leader in community involvement and in educating our Clients about new legislation and initiatives in Washington DC.
If you have purchased takeout food since the beginning of January, you may have noticed you were charged an extra five cents for the bag. This new charge is not a tax; it is a fee assessed as part of the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2009. Carryout bags have been a major source of pollution in our parks and rivers. Of the five-cent charge assessed, the business keeps one cent or two cents if they offer a rebate to customers who bring their own bag. The remaining three or four cents goes to the new Anacostia River Protection Fund to educate the public about litter, clean up the river and provide reusable bags. This new assessment is not limited to carryout restaurants. The following other businesses are required to charge the fee:
- Any business that has a liquor license
- Department stores that sell food items
- Grocery stores
- Book stores that sell food items
For restaurants, there is a little confusion. Those restaurants that offer seating are not required to charge the fee for paper bags; however, they will charge the fee for plastic takeout bags (this includes food courts). Carryout or places with a deli (any food carryout that does not offer seating) must charge the five-cent fee on paper or plastic bags.
To avoid paying the fee, bring your own bag! Some businesses are even offering customers a credit for each bag brought in. You can also purchase a separate container to recycle carryout bags in your break rooms. Some Clients have been supplying their employees with reusable bags; we can provide suggestions as to where you can purchase them.
For more information on the “Skip the Bag, Save the River” program, please visit www.green.dc.gov/bags or contact Akridge’s Green Team at greenteam@akridge.com.
Native Plants: Fill your yard with native plants. This will cut down significantly on watering requirements, and in the process, provide much needed food and shelter to local wildlife.
Mulching: Mulch your gardens to reduce water evaporation around your plants. This also reduces weeds and builds healthy soil.
For Your Hoses: Buy a squeeze nozzle to use on your garden hoses. If you are watering individual plants, use a watering can to reduce water waste.
Best Time to Water: Water at night to minimize evaporation.
Leftover Water: If you have house plants, water them with leftover or unused water from drinking, cooking and showering whenever possible. Keep a water pitcher near your sink or bathtub and collect unused water running from the tap while waiting for cooler or warmer water.
Who is the Akridge Green Team?- Eddy Alvarado, Chief Engineer
- Todd Anderson, Building Manager
- Kathy Barnes, Senior Vice President – Property Mgmt
- Wendy Emanuel, Senior Property Manager
- Emily Herson, Property Manager
- Danielle Jones, Property Manager
- Jennifer Laforest, Property Manager
- Katie McKeon, Property Management Administrator
- Lesley Morrison, Office Building Manager
- Mary Alice O’Halloran, Senior Property Manager
- Brad Pearson, Senior Project Accountant
- Corinne Pignatelli, Marketing Manager
- Mike Reilly, Chief Engineer
- Katy Schmidt, Property Management Administrator
- Bob Schofield, Vice President - Construction
- Todd Shaffer, Operations Administrator
- Teri Speight, Front Desk Manager
- David Tuchmann, Development Manager
- Katie Wood, Property Manager