2008 City of Saint John Environmental Awards

At tonights Common Council meeting, the Environment Committee presented it’s 2008 Environmental awards. The recipients were:

Fundy Linen Services

Last year, Fundy Linen Services completed an energy reduction program. The upgrades and changes they made to their existing technology reduced their water consumption by over eight million gallons per year, and also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 1,000 tonnes annually.

To reduce their water and energy consumption, Fundy Linen installed two Washex tunnel washers which use German technology that requires less water to operate, and started using a Performance program by Ecolab that kills bacteria at a lower temperature: it is that difference in washing temperature that resulted in the major energy savings.

As part of their Energy Reduction Plan, they also made the switch from Number 2 furnace oil to natural gas and installed two new vapour powered thermal water heaters, which are 23% more efficient at heating water.

Because Fundy Linen operates as a hospital laundry, there are strict standards for infection control. All operating room scrubs, drapes and gowns are computer monitored for quality. Any items with holes or tears are sterilized and recycled into rags to avoid the landfill.

The Blue Run

Our second Environment Award recipient is a small company known as The Blue Run that was started about one year ago.

This company is dedicated to recycling for you. Anyone looking for assistance with getting their recyclables to the depot would be a good customer for the Blue Run. For a small fee, Blue Run employees offer a curb-side recycling service on Saturday mornings. As a result, this company has decreased the amount of recyclables that were unnecessarily going into our landfill.

While the majority of their customers are residential, there are a growing number of commercial customers. Currently the material collected is mostly “lunchroom” recyclables.

Some comments from customers:

“I had always tried to be a loyal recycler but had at times become frustrated with the mounting piles of paper, cardboard and plastic accumulating in my garage. When time is tight it’s not always convenient to load up your car and truck recycling to the blue bins. (Especially on those cold winter days.) I immediately signed up. Without fail, every Saturday these hardworking individuals arrive at my door, and take my recycling. My garage is a lot cleaner. It takes care of my storing bags of recyclables and certainly makes me more apt to think about what I’m throwing out. I also know from talking to my neighbours how beneficial this program is for seniors, as well as children. My own son has become more aware of what we are putting into our garbage and even what we buy in terms of its recyclability.”

“I am a customer and it is a great service! It definitely eases the burden of being a busy working mom!”

Active Transportation Saint John (ATSJ)

This group of volunteers is committed to making a real and significant transformation of transportation in Saint John. ATSJ has been promoting the development of cycling lanes on roadways and walking and running paths within the City to facilitate and encourage human powered commuting as well as fitness opportunities. As part of this effort, they are developing cycling maps for Saint John to encourage more people to use this environmentally-friendly mode of transportation.

The nominator states:

“The traditional vehicle orientation is being replaced by one that highlights the importance of safe, accessible, environmentally responsible and integrated multiple-use to improve our street systems for pedestrians, cyclists, and users of the public transportation system – an essential part of our transition to a sustainable community.

The benefits are many: from a more active population to lowered rates of vehicle usage and lower greenhouse gas emissions, from improved mobility options to a variety of more responsible choices for us all.”

While this award is focused on ATSJ, the Environment Committee would also like to acknowledge key supporters that are helping to make the transformation real including Saint John Transit, Saint John Parking, and the staff of City of Saint John Municipal Operations including the Traffic Crew.