Sustainability

Safer Choice Partners Event

The U.S. EPA is hosting the Partner of the Year Awards Ceremony on October 2, recognizing the 2023 Safer Choice Partners of the Year for their outstanding achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products that meet the program’s stringent health and environmental standards. The Stakeholder Summit from October 3-4 will include informational sessions, panelist discussions, and networking opportunities. The events are free and hosted in Arlington, Virginia.  Registration is required.

NV Energy — Business Energy Services Program

PowerShift by NV Energy can help business customers reduce their monthly energy consumption. Saving energy means helping the environment and it means saving money. The business case is strong. Small business owners can tap into the program if they use less than 400,000 kWh of electricity per year. One small business in southern Nevada replaced exterior lighting with LED lighting and is saving over $10,500 per year with an estimated payback of just one year on the upfront investment! Similarly, a …

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Southern Nevada Water Conservation

WATER SMART LANDSCAPES REBATE PROGRAM IT’S THE LAW Did you know that beginning in 2027, Nevada law AB 356, will prohibit the watering of nonfunctional grass at southern Nevada businesses? What is nonfunctional grass? Streetscape turf: grass location along public or private streets, sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots, including business streetscape frontage areas Frontage, courtyard, interior and building-adjacent turf: grass in front of, between, behind, or otherwise adjacent to a building or buildings on a property not zoned exclusively for single-family residences, including …

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EPA’s Safer Choice Program to Expand

Do you have ideas for expanding the scope of the Safer Choice Program beyond cleaners and disinfectants? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a 45-day public comment period on a proposed expansion of its Safer Choice to include certification of additional product categories. Safer Choice is a voluntary EPA program that helps consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and meet stringent EPA criteria for effects on human health and the environment.  EPA will hold a listening session webinar …

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Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution Available for Review

Submit Comments by July 31st EPA recently developed the draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution to shift toward a restorative circular approach to plastics management, with objectives to: Reduce pollution during plastic production Improve post-use materials management Prevent trash and micro/nanoplastics from entering waterways and remove escaped trash from the environment The EPA is seeking comment from organizations engaged in post-consumer materials management and infrastructure. Read the draft strategy and submit your comments by July 31st here.

Call for Submissions: 

2023 Partner of the Year Awards The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for submissions for the 2023 Partner of the Year Awards. The Awards recognize the leadership contributions of Safer Choice partners and stakeholders who have shown achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer choice chemicals that furthers outstanding or innovative source reduction. For more information on how to apply, CLICK HERE.

All-In Clark County Community Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Approved

Check out the calendar of events! On Tuesday, April 4, 2023 the Clark County Board of Commissioners approved the All-In Clark County Community Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. This is the first-ever regional sustainability and climate action plan for Southern Nevada. The plan was created through one of the most inclusive processes in county history and included BEP director, Chris Lynch, who was a member of the Clark County All-In Sustainability and Climate Advisory Group that assisted in the development of the plan. …

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EPA Seeks Input on Inflation Reduction Act Programs to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Construction Materials and Products

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public input on new programs focused on lower carbon construction materials made possible by a $350 million investment from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The Agency will hold three public webinars and will accept written feedback on establishing new grant and technical assistance programs, and a carbon labeling program for construction materials with substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions. March 2, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. EST: Reducing Embodied Greenhouse …

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Pollution Prevention Works: A Storytelling Challenge for Students

Attention High School and College Students! Tell a story about how a company that reports to TRI has taken steps to reduce pollution and win up to $5000! EPA launched a challenge promoting innovation in pollution prevention at industrial and federal facilities. The Challenge invites high school and college students and to use the TRI P2 Search Tool to identify a TRI facility that has reported implementing source reduction practices and tell a compelling story about how those practices or techniques benefit the business …

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EPA to Expand Environmental Performance Standard and Ecolabel Recommendations for Federal Purchasing

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new process to add additional standards and ecolabels to the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing. The expansion includes standards and ecolabels that address PFAS, embodied carbon, and other priorities. EPA encourages managers of standards development organizations, ecolabel programs and similar organizations to apply for potential assessment and inclusion in the Recommendations. EPA is particularly interested in assessing standards and ecolabels in the following sectors: …

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