Sustainable Arlington

Welcome to Sustainable Arlington

Sustainable Arlington is a Vision2020 Environment Task Group Committee and a chapter of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network.

Sustainable Arlington is dedicated to acting on a local level to promote climate stabilization and other important environmental goals.

This site provides updated news about our Town's environmental activities, is a destination to learn more about Sustainable Arlington's activities, and provides information on how to lower your carbon footprint.

Thanks for visiting.

Robbins Farm Garden and Veggie School

Thursday, 22 July 2010 08:56

Thursday, July 22.

Robbins Farm: we walk, sit and play there. Now you can watch flourishing vegetables and flowers there as well (see www.robbinsfarmgarden.org/ ).

A row of colorful banners attached to the fence this morning illustrates all the vegetables. Veggie School students use the banners to learn about the garden. Later they can visit the school's website and read up on each vegetable's history at:

veggieschool.robbinsfarmgarden.org/index.php?page=families

Definitely worth a visit and fun to watch from week to week.

--Brucie Moulton

Team SA, DPW, and ARC!

Tuesday, 20 July 2010 10:14

The 2010 Strawberry Festival at Robbins Library brought out many recyclers and re-users. Gail McCormick from SA and Ruth Yanetti from the DPW and the Arlington Recycling Committee (ARC) teamed up at a table and displayed the New Age Compost Bins, available for sale through the public works office.

sf2010

Ruth and the DPW have applied to the Environmental Protection Agency for a grant to pilot a residential food waste curbside pick-up program. Sustainable Arlington and the ARC will help support the program's development by surveying Town residents to guage interest and willingness to pay a modest yearly fee, at least initially, to have their food waste collected on the same day as recycling.

Keep an eye out for this survey, which will be distributed through the SA and ARC lists, the Arlington email list, Town Meeting e-list, and Vision 2020 e-list, among others. Contact SA if you'd like to be more involved in developing this pilot program.

Last Updated (Tuesday, 20 July 2010 11:18)

Arlington Awarded $200,188 Green Communities Grant

Friday, 16 July 2010 10:17

Earlier this week, the Town of Arlington was informed by the Commonwealth’s Green Communities Division of a grant award in the amount of $200,188 to fund various energy efficiency projects in Town. This award is the culmination of much cooperation and effort between the Board of Selectmen, Town Meeting, Sustainable Arlington and Town staff. This cooperation and effort is what earned Arlington designation as a “Green Community” and the corresponding opportunity to apply for grant funds that was only made available to municipalities earning the designation. Arlington’s grant award includes funding for the following projects:

LED Streetlight Conversion – The Town has been awarded funding to begin the conversion of the current High Pressure Sodium streetlights to LED streetlights which are more energy efficient and project to reduce energy consumption by up to 50%.

Upgrade of Energy Management System at Hardy School – The Town will receive funding to install a new “head end” on the existing energy management system at the Hardy School, which will improve energy efficiency within the building.

Replacement of Steam Traps at Arlington High School – The Town has been awarded funding to replace all remaining faulty steam traps within Arlington High School’s heating system thereby increasing the efficiency of the entire system and lowering overall energy consumption.

Last Updated (Wednesday, 21 July 2010 14:55)

GCP Grant Awarded

Monday, 19 July 2010 15:51

Arlington tackles climate change one energy-saving dollar at a time

At a time when purse strings are tight, can any of us really afford to think about our responsibility to the environment?

Saving energy also saves money, and Arlington is among the leading communities in the Commonwealth to weave those two factors together for the benefit of the Town’s finances.

Arlington received its MA Green Communities designation this spring, and now the Town has been awarded a Green Communities grant in the amount of $200,188 for three municipal energy efficiency projects. The funding will be used to purchase and install a new Energy Management System (EMS) at the Hardy School, to fund an ongoing steam trap maintenance program at Arlington High School, and to continue to replace Arlington's streetlights with state-of-the-art low energy-use LED technology.

Last Updated (Wednesday, 21 July 2010 15:00)

BigBelly Compactors

Monday, 19 July 2010 17:21

Solar Powered Trash Compactors Come to Arlington

As part of the recent Green Communities designation, Arlington has

received five (5) BigBelly Solar Compactors to place around Town. These

compactors are completely self-powered and use solar power for 100% of

their energy needs. The compactors are the size of regular trash

receptacles, yet their capacity is five times greater. Increased capacity

reduces collection trips and can cut fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions

by 80%. The Town installed the solar powered compactors the week of July

12th at the following locations:

Mass Ave. at Park Ave.

Menotomy Rocks Park at the Jason Street Entrance

Mass Ave. at Medford St.

Mass Ave. near Dag’s Delicatessen

Robbins Farm Park on Eastern Ave.

From: Town of Arlington Notices < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >

Last Updated (Wednesday, 21 July 2010 14:59)

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