In an era of growing social and environmental responsibility, sustainable business practices are a growing trend. Sustainability can be defined as the ability to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations.
A partnership of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Developers Council, the Master of Environmental Studies Student Association (MESSA) from the College of Charleston and The Sustainability Institute, the Sustainable Charleston Awards Program recognizes and promotes businesses or organizations that successfully balance community development, growth management and environmental stewardship.
Read about the 2005 award winners below or visit the Chamber of Commerce's site for information about next year's Sustainable Charleston Awards.
2005 SUSTAINABLE CHARLESTON AWARD WINNERS
ANNOUNCED AT GROWTH FORUM
The Sustainable Charleston Awards were announced at the Building on Prosperity Growth Forum held September 20th, 2005. The award winners were: Small Business, Ilderton Contractors; Large Business, Alcoa Mt. Holly; Non-Profit, Goodwill Industries; Government, NAVFAC Southern Division; Visionary, Charleston County School District.
The Small Business award went to Ilderton Contractors in recognition of the New Village Homes Project. The development incorporates the fundamental elements of green building and sustainable design. New Village Homes is sensitive to preserving natural beauty. Key Objectives are to use materials, energy and water efficiently, use durable materials, to create spaces that are healthy for occupants and to protect and restore natural systems.
The Large Business award was presented to Alcoa Mt. Holly in recognition of their Engineered Natural Systems for Stormwater Reduction and Treatment Project. Alcoa's Mt. Holly operation was chosen to evaluate passive "engineered natural systems" - or ENS technologies for stormwater management. In early 2002, a team was put together with the objective to find lower cost alternatives for stormwater reduction and treatment to meet both short-term compliance and long-term sustainability goals. Today, runoff at the facility has been reduced by nearly 50 percent compared to nearby conventional methods.
Goodwill Industries of Lower South Carolina was the winner in the Non-profit Category in recognition of their PC Recycling and Repair Program. Goodwill Industries implemented the PC Recycling and Repair program last year as a way to reduce the number of computers going to our landfills and to provide technical work experience for their clientele. Since the program was implemented in February 2004, the project has helped reduced e-waste from the waste stream, turned it into positive cash flow and created new employment opportunities.
Southern Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command was the award winner in the Government Category for work in the areas of energy efficiency, procurement practices, product development, quality of workplace, waste emission reduction and water conservation. Southern Division has initiated a number of innovative procurement practices to improve sustainability and increase environmental awareness of their contractors and their staffs. Examples of these practices include requiring contractors to submit information regarding their past environmental compliance and stewardship initiatives as part of their proposals to conduct work for NAVFAC and requiring environmental compliance be included in every contractors performance evaluation. Southern Division also uses the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED rating system within their own workspace and as a tool in applying sustainable practices in their work.
Charleston County School District was awarded in the Visionary Category in recognition of North Charleston Elementary School, a brand-new 92,000 square foot facility located in the Noisette portion of the City of North Charleston. The school facility was designed and constructed to achieve LEED Certification with 86 percent of the construction waste diverted from the landfill. Every instructional space incorporates natural daylight and 90 percent of overall spaces achieve daylight. Other innovative energy practices were incorporated such as an ice storage system that makes ice at night and cools the facility during the day.
The judging process for the awards was held from August 15 - September 1, 2005. An independent panel of judges, all professionals recruited from a diverse range of fields including business, public/private sectors and non-profits, reviewed applications to make final decisions on award winners.
With more than 2,300 members, the Charleston Metro Chamber
of Commerce serves as the catalyst to maximize the power of business for
the quality growth, economic development of the Charleston region and
make our members successful.
September 20, 2005 News Release, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
Contact: Jonna Palmer, VP, Communications &
Marketing, 805-3031
Aimee DuRant, Manager, Communications & Marketing, 805-3053