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New College of Florida has received Green Business Partnership certification from Sarasota County, recognizing the college’s leadership in recycling, reducing waste, and conserving water and energy.
To achieve Green Business status, the College had to document how it met 21 standards for reducing solid waste, 14 for water conservation, and 14 for energy conservation. They include:

  • Having comprehensive recycling and composting programs,
  • Using low-flow toilets and showerheads,
  • Landscaping with Florida native and drought-resistant plants
  • Using low-wattage or and LED lights, with timers or motion sensors where feasible.

Alan Burr, director of the College’s Facilities and Construction Department, said the College also stood out for its participation in the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) program. New College has been reporting on its carbon footprint and greenhouse gas reduction since 2007.
Sarasota County announced the certification in late November.
Dana Bulger, administrative services coordinator for Physical Plant, headed the application effort. “It makes you take stock of where you are right now, and where you could look for improvement,” she said. “We’re constantly trying to do things that will save water and electricity.”
She credited New College students, particularly a group headed by second-year Adilyne McKinlay, for encouraging the College to pursue the certification.
“We recognized the environmental initiatives the school had already taken and thought the partnership would be a good fit,” said McKinlay, who is the New College Student Alliance’s vice president for green affairs.
“We were able to meet, and in some aspects far surpass, the requirements for the partnership, which speaks to the sustainable initiatives the College has undertaken in recent years,” she said.
“I’m hoping that the stage we’re at now will act as a marker for future growth and improvement.  I was delighted to learn that New College is one of the leading businesses in the partnership as far as our sustainability and environmental initiatives go, and I hope that we can act as model for other businesses in the community,” she added
McKinlay, who is also the chairperson of the College’s Council of Green Affairs, noted that the group is in the process of establishing a “food forest” on campus, which they hope will increase sustainable food production for the campus, as well as create applications for academic study.
To learn more, visit Sarasota County’s Green Business Partnership website at https://www.scgov.net/GreenBusiness/ or view its ACUPCC reports at http://reporting.secondnature.org/