Image Tompkins County is being honored as the nation’s first-ever Go Green County of the Year,  in recognition of the Solid Waste Management Division’s innovation and success with its Go Green Initiative program through area schools.  The award will be presented October 18 at a Go Green summit in Syracuse.

The  local Go Green Initiative (GGI) program, adapting principles of the national GGI movement, was initiated by the Solid Waste Management Division a few years ago.  The program unites parents, students, teachers, staff and  administrators to create a culture of environmental responsibility in schools throughout Tompkins County.

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Linnett Short
Linnett Short, communications and administrative coordinator at the Solid Waste Management Division, calls the Go Green Initiative a national effort to “GREEN” schools, the acronym “GREEN” standing for Generate compost, Recycle, Educate, Evaluate, and Nationalize principles of responsible consumption.  Currently, about half of Tompkins County schools participate in the program, with the hope that the program will be extended countywide by the end of the year.

National Go Green Initiative founder Jill Buck says she is “very, very proud” of the County’s commitment to make Go Green an integral part of its composting and recycling programs, and she hopes it will serve as an example to other county environmental and solid waste coordinators across the nation.  “We’ve seen schools registering in Tompkins County all year long on a very regular and consistent basis,” Buck observes.  “We believe that this is because of your county’s commitment to make the Go Green Initiative part of your plan and process.”

In a radio interview September 19, coordinator Short, Stephanie Egan, and Kat McCarthy of the Solid Waste Management Division talked about the County’s Go Green program to a nationwide audience on the web site www.voiceamerica.com, where a pod cast of the interview is available for download. 

Ms. Short says any school interested in GGI should contact her.  The next step is a 20-minute presentation at the school, followed by a free school waste assessment, with recycling bins and other materials provided.  Once the school has its first Go Green team meeting, the Division supports half of the school’s composting costs.

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