FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
June 16, 2010 JASON SILVA, CHIEF OF STAFF
78-619-5603
City of Salem partners with the Salem Chamber of Commerce to launch a Green Business challenge
SALEM - Over the last several years many Salem businesses continue to implement Green practices such as recycling, transportation initiatives and energy and water conservation. Several Salem committees-Renewable Energy Task Force (RETF), SalemRecycles and the North Shore Transportation Management Association are partnering with the Salem Chamber and the City to initiate the Green Salem Business Challenge distinction which will be initiated during the Living Green and Renewable Energy Fair on June 19th at Old Town Hall.
This competition and recognition program is designed to foster sustainable business practices within the Salem business community. This charter program is offered as the first in a series of annual challenges intended to help businesses improve their green business practices incrementally, as the bar is continually raised in each successive year.
Participating businesses must take a sustainability pledge, complete an online survey checklist of sustainability measures that they have implemented in the past year, describe why they consider themselves to be a green business, and detail what they will do in the coming year to improve green practices. The checklist consists of measures in each of the following sustainability categories: Education & Awareness; Energy Conservation & Renewable Energy; Water Conservation; Resource Management; Transportation; Green Cleaning & Maintenance; and Product/ Service Offerings.
Businesses of all types and sizes are encouraged to participate. While all businesses that participate will be recognized, a winner from each of four business size classes (based on number of employees) will be selected by a panel consisting of members from each of the organizations noted above. Businesses will receive points for each of the items in the checklist that they are able to check off, and the answers to the narrative questions will be used to address tie scores. All participants will be recognized in a press release, while winners will additionally receive a window decal and top winners from each category will receive a prize. .
Official kick-off and enrollment begins on June 19th, 2010, the day of Salem’s annual Living Green Fair. Winners will be announced the week of September 7th. To enroll and complete the online survey (on or after 6/19), go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VWKMV77. This initial challenge is envisioned to kick off the new Green Salem Business program and launch subsequent Green competitions and designations. Please contact Paul Marquis, Ben Bouchard or Julie Rose with
questions. The City looks forward to another exciting Green initiative from its business community.
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