Do you live or work in Alexandria? Are you concerned or interested in the environment; reducing pollution and energy use; encouraging walking, bicycling and public transportation use; protecting natural resources and wildlife habitat; improving air and water quality; or improving access to healthy, sustainable food? What can you do or what have you done to reduce your impact on the environment? Alexandria’s Environmental Policy Commission (EPC) needs your help.
On Saturday, June 14, 2008 the City of Alexandria adopted the region’s first ever Eco-City Charter (a sustainable vision for the future of Alexandria) and is in the process of developing an Environmental Action Plan (a sustainability plan to put that vision into action) to make Alexandria a better place to live, while reducing its impact on the environment.
The EPC and the Eco-City Studio encourage you to get involved. We want to know your ideas and comments, want to respond to your questions, and learn about what you do to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
This blog will enable you to actively participate in the development of the Environmental Action Plan, exchange sustainability tips and information with friends and neighbors, and create a network with other members of the Alexandria community that share similar ideas and goals related to ecological sustainability.
If there is a specific sustainability topic you are interested in, then check out the categories in the sidebar to the right. Share your ideas, comments and questions! Your input is very valuable.
I went to the eco city meeting tonight but had to leave early. Here are a couple more ideas
Solid Waste Goal 3 Action 2 consider implementing the system that San Francisco uses. They divided waste into compost including (meat products) recyclables and trash.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/san_francisco_c.php
Or charge more for trash removal. If you generate less waste you pay less. This could work well for buisness. It works well in Germany.
By: Scarlett Williams on November 17, 2008
at 10:04 pm
Was wondering about food scraps and other scraps that would normally be put in someone’s composting bin. I don’t have a composting bin and don’t need compost as I don’t garden. However, I cringe every time I throw food scraps away when they could be put to good use in compost.
Is there a way to collect and donate this to either interested persons for composting or a central place to take it for interested persons then to pick up for their composting.
Something along those lines?
By: Mel Hampton on April 1, 2009
at 5:42 pm
Mel isn’t the only one in Alexandria looking for a place to send their food scraps.
By: Jaime E on May 3, 2009
at 1:25 am
Mel and Jaime,
The EPC Draft Environmental Action Plan addresses that on pages 49. If the City Council adopts the EAP in June, the it will commit the City to “Promote[ing] residential composting…partnership[s] with Community Gardens, Master Gardeners, VA, Cooperative Extension.” The eventual goal is to create a curbside collection of compostable waste for citizens who do not compost their biodegradable waste.
If you’re looking for an immediate assistance, I recommend calling the Master Gardener Help Line at (703) 228-6414.
By: bullmooser08 on May 13, 2009
at 8:10 pm
What about apartment complexes who arguably need an avenue for composting the most? We don’t have curbside pick-up and many of our landlords don’t even provide recycling programs.
By: Jaime E on June 1, 2009
at 12:46 pm