by Allison Day, intern, Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants. 

Interested in greening your business and learning practical solutions? CHBA and Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants partnered again in the “Green Business on the Hill” program -- now in its second year. This program is for organizations who want to green their operational practices in terms of energy, waste, climate and air quality. 

The Green Your Business self-assessment survey is a key aspect of CHBA's Green Business program evaluation and recognition system. The questions on this self-assessment are designed to encourage reflection on business operations and offer practical ways to make sustainable changes.

If you completed the self-assessment of your business last year, we encourage you to take it again so that we can measure any impacts your business has made around environmental sustainability.

The free self-assessment tool customized for CHBA member businesses by Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants will be available through March 6. Join us on Friday, April 17 from 8:30 am to 10 am the CHBA Office on 8514 Germantown Avenue to learn from organizations who have “greened” their practices. For more information on this program, contact the CHBA office at (215) 247-6696 or email maryann@boyersudduth.com. 

Continuing the commitment to “greening” local businesses, CHBA member businesses may drop off clean styrofoam packaging to the CHBA Office at 8514 Germantown Avenue during regular business hours (Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM and Saturdays 10:00AM-4:00PM) for no charge. Styrofoam packaging is commonly used and received by many businesses, but is not considered biodegradable and is not currently accepted for curbside recycling in the City of Philadelphia. As a result, most EPS ends up in landfills, and it is easily carried by wind into waterways due to its light weight.

Collected EPS will be shipped by the “Styrofree” program to a local recycler for processing. Please note that the program does not accept styrofoam which is soiled with food, foam packing "peanuts," or styrofoam which does not have recycling code #6 (PS); however, Kilian's Hardware will gladly accept packing peanuts for reuse at their store at 8450 Germantown Avenue.

In addition, CHBA member Monika Schermer (Bohemian Pink) has started a campaign with NexTrex to make plastic film and plastic bag recycling more accessible in Chestnut Hill.  Plastic bags/film can now be dropped off for free at four convenient locations:

Bohemian Pink, 8638 Germantown Avenue

Chestnut Hill Welcome Center, 8514 Germantown Avenue

Threadwell at 8432 Germantown Avenue

If the campaign is successful in collecting more than 500 lbs. of bags, the NexTrex company will donate a composite plastic bench to Chestnut Hill.

Please take advantage of the many new convenient resources to reduce your business' environmental impact.
By Allison Day, a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and an intern with Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants.