Vermont Business Environmental Partnership
| Organization(s) |
Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Vermont Small Business Development Center
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| Project Description |
The Vermont Business Environmental Partnership (VBEP) - - a joint program with Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) and Vermont Small Business Development Center (VT SBDC) - - had 52 Green Hotels and Environmental Partners enlisted in this business assistance and recognition program as of Fall 2001. Recognition for the lodging sector includes both a listing on the Vermont Green Hotels' web page (www.vtgreenhotels.org) and distribution of 6000 interstate highway rest area advertising cards with Green Hotel maps and phone numbers. This program will now provide technical assistance in the form of "environmental opportunity assessments" and recognition for all Vermont businesses interested in reducing waste and improving energy and resource usage efficiency. The program will be marketed through a proposed VT Environmental Assistance Partnership quarterly newsletter involving the VT ANR, VT SBDC, VT Manufacturing Extension Center, and VT Department of Economic Development.
In 2002, the Partnership incorporated two ski areas designated as Environmental Partners, joining the 50 lodging sector participants. Others have been recognized with a Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence in Pollution Prevention. Some of the best management practices that VT ski areas have adopted are: environmentally preferable purchasing (particularly post-consumer recycled products, encouraged by the VT Ski Area Association's EPP project), composting, alternative wastewater treatment (Living Machine), vegetable-based hydraulic oils, energy efficiency upgrades, swimming pool alternative sanitizers, placing environmental policies on post-consumer recycled content trail maps, and significant on-site recycling efforts.
In total, VBEP now has 63 Environmental Partners and 2 Environmental Leaders. The sector-specific program - Green Hotels - has been particularly successful, adding 25 new partners in 2008, and has a total of 98 lodging facilities.
The Partnership is currently being expanded to reach out to two specific business sectors: marinas and golf courses. These sector-specific programs will focus on such initiatives as waste reduction, energy efficiency, and environmentally preferable purchasing. |
| More Info |
www.vbep.org |
| |
| Project Contact |
| Name |
Peter Crawford |
| Phone |
802-728-1423 |
| E-mail |
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| Project Keywords |
| Processes |
Wastewater Treatment |
| Areas of P2 Expertise |
Energy Efficiency, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing |
| Industrial Sectors |
Hospitality Industry |
| |
| Source |
| Newsletter |
Northeast Assistance & Pollution Prevention News - Vol. 19 No. 1, Spring 2009 [PDF] |
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