News Flash

Congratulations to Phenix School, the Winter 2018 Hampton Clean & Green Workplaces Award winner! On March 1, at the Virginia Peninsula Clean Business Forum, George P. Phenix School received the Hampton Clean & Green Workplaces Award. The school was recognized for its many green school efforts, including having an active recycling program, including special collections of plastic bags, installing several gardens around the school, highlighting Earth Day Spirit Week for students, encouraging Meatless Mondays at the school, and establishing a Green Team club for students. In addition, the school was built with high environmental standards to be highly efficient with water and energy. Phenix School representatives who accepted the award were Dawn Gerbing and Trekita Johnson. The award was presented by Kay Trotter, Deputy Director of Hampton Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Services.

Vice Mayor Linda Curtis and Kay Trotter welcomed the participants from Hampton, James City County, Newport News, and York County. Clean & Green Workplaces Committee Chair Jim Williams led the Forum.

The speaker for the Forum was Michael Benedetto, President of TFC Recycling, who talked about the impact that changes in the recycling markets due to Chinese rules was having on recycling collection and markets.

We are very grateful to Old Point National Bank for allowing us to use their Community Room for the event. We especially thank Laura Moore, who served as sponsor for the event!

If you know of a business that fulfills many of the following criteria, nominate them for a Clean & Green Workplaces Award by contacting hccc@hampton.gov:

• Litter-free efforts apparent (examples: litter-free premises, trash and/or recycling containers, signage, litter containment measures, ash receptacles near entrances of buildings, litter prevention procedures in waste disposal and loading areas, participation in the Adopt-A-Spot program)
• Attractive premises (examples: neat appearance, tastefully colorful exterior decor, inviting entrance, flowers and floral displays, hanging baskets, art work, murals)
• Contributions to community, community partnerships, donations, sponsorships (examples: contributions to greening the community with youth participation, Hampton Clean City Commission committee or project participation)
• Recycling and/or waste – reduction efforts (examples: participation in one or more recycling programs, use of city composting, purchasing recycled products, paperless billing efforts, stocking reusable tableware in office breakroom or kitchen, reducing or eliminating the use of harmful chemicals, sponsoring school recycling efforts)
• Urban forestry (examples: preservation or planting of native trees, trees used to shade parking lot, donations for planting public trees)
• Sustainable landscaped areas that are attractive and beneficial to local wildlife (examples: pollinator gardens, water wise landscaping, organic and bee safe practices, employee vegetable gardens)
• Energy conservation practices (examples: sensor lights in restrooms, use of awnings or plantings to shade windows and buildings in summers, lights off rules for rooms not in use, use of renewable energy options)
• Water conservation practices (examples: sensor faucets and toilets, xeriscaped landscape, water recycling efforts in manufacturing, low-flow toilets, participation in water-quality volunteer programs like oyster gardening and waterway cleanups)
• Overall impression of workplace (examples: curb appeal, customer friendliness, inviting atmosphere)
• Heritage preservation (examples: heritage tree protection, adaptive reuse of historic buildings, heritage garden landscaping, support of Hampton heritage preservation efforts)