recent-posts – Page 15 – Green Needham

Solar for Suni! (ta Williams School)

When the sun shines on the new Sunita L. Williams school on Central Avenue at its opening in the fall of 2019, it will also be generating electricity to power the school and save money for the community. Solar PV

Neighbor Spotlights: from lawn mowing to activism

I met Stephen at a Green Needham planning meeting for a town event coming up next fall (keep an eye out for further notice). He impressed me with his upbeat, calm presence, and with how he packaged our ideas in

Neighbor spotlights: From the prairie to the East

When Eleanor and Jay moved to Needham in 2001 with their two teenagers, they were surprised. They were coming from West Lafayette, Indiana (home of Purdue University), where Eleanor in particular, had been part of a very active environmental community

Plastic Bag Ban Hearing – Speakers ask for ban, Selectmen support voluntary measure

The Selectmen’s Chambers were filled past capacity for the February 27th Public Hearing on single-use plastic bags (the on-demand video of the hearing is here). Rob Fernandez, Chair of Green Needham’s plastic bag ban team, spoke in support of the

City Compost – Special Discount Offer for Needham Residents

Two hundred and ten new composters joined City Compost‘s service in February, including two offices, one church, one event, and one farmers market! That translates to over 2,000 lbs/week of scraps for making new soil. It would be great to

Ahead of the Curve: China says your recyclables don’t measure up

MassINC’s Commonwealth magazine recently published an article titled “China says your recyclables don’t measure up“. It described the new restrictions on recyclables shipped to China that are roiling recycling markets in the United States. Needham is, as we often are,

Environmental Initiatives at Needham High School

As many communities work to implement environmentally friendly programs, the Needham High students in the Environmental Club are joining in with their own initiatives. Recently the club’s faculty advisor Hans Batra, and the student co-presidents Conner Jahn and Riley Roefaro,

Board of Selectmen Public Hearing on a New Plastic Check-Out Bag Policy – February 27, 2018

Needham’s Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at 7:00 pm in the Selectmen’s Chambers at the Needham Town Hall to gather input about a new plastic check-out bag policy. The board is currently

Neighbor Spotlight: The Trash Game

Over the years, but particularly in the past year, I have met a lot of people who are making changes in their lives to be a better neighbor to planet Earth. They are pretty ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They

Make the Climate your Valentine: three powerful things you can do this week

There are three things you can do this week to make a powerful difference to climate change legislature in Massachusetts. Please consider doing at least one. We know that climate change and the continued use of fossil fuels are already endangering

Toward Zero Waste Forum in Needham – Recycling Quality vs Quantity

Please join us on Monday, March 5th at 7pm in the Needham Library’s Community Room for a lively discussion about how we can improve the quality of Needham’s paper, plastic, glass, metal recycling and organic composting. This session will be

Nominate a Needham business for a Green Business Award

Help us celebrate Needham businesses that have taken significant or innovative strides to reduce their carbon footprints and adopt environmentally friendly practices. Businesses from Needham and Newton will be once again be recognized with Green Business Awards at the Newton

Neighbor Spotlight: One Thing Leads to Another

Needham streets may soon be illuminated by new LED streetlights

After conducting a study, the Department of Public Works has listed a streetlight conversion project as part of its capital plan for FY19. A new project, the conversion has been listed as Tier 2 – to be funded if additional

Top 10 Recycling Challenges at the Needham RTS

At Green Needham’s November 29th “Toward Zero Waste” event, Greg Smith (Needham’s Superintendent of Recycling and Solid Waste) presented his list of Needham’s top 10 recycling challenges: Keep plastic wrap and plastic bags out of the recycling containers. Keep trash out

Newton-Needham Transportation Survey

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is assisting the 128 Business Council on an initiative that aims to improve transportation directly benefiting Newton and Needham residents, businesses, employees and customers. As a first step, the Business Council and Chamber need a thorough

Globe West’s “The Argument”: Should Needham Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags?

Green Needham was invited to participate in the weekly Boston Globe West column, The Argument. The column features two sides of the argument on a topic of current interest in one of the Metrowest towns covered by Globe West. Rob

Standing Room Only on the Journey to a Zero Waste Future

On November 29, 2017, a standing-room-only audience packed the Community Room at the Needham Library to hear experts from government, business, and a local college describe the achievements and challenges involved in reducing local solid waste. The purpose of Green

Boston City Council passes plastic bag ban unanimously – now it’s up to Mayor Walsh

12/18/17 Update: Mayor Walsh has signed the plastic bag ban for Boston. Read the story at the Boston Globe’s web site. This afternoon, the Boston City Council passed a plastic bag ban. All 11 councilors who voted supported the ban.

Food Rescue Increases in Greater Boston

“Stop Food Waste and Feed the Hungry in Boston at 8 p.m.” That intriguing opportunity caught the eye of Green Needham member Jay Delaune, who was perusing the volunteer listings on VolunteerMatch.org. One click led him to the volunteer page