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2002 Green Awards

The Green Award Program honored local schools, businesses and nonprofit organizations from 1994 until 2007.

This program has been replaced with a more comprehensive Green Business Program

2002 Green Award Recipients

These recipients were honored in 2002 for taking actions above and beyond their basic missions to protect, preserve, and improve the environment in such areas as solid waste reduction and recycling, water conservation, energy conservation, hazardous waste reduction and recycling, and prevention and reduction of pollution of the air, water, and soil. Take a look at our Green Awards Archives for more information about the retired program.

Blackbird Architects

Blackbird Architects in Santa Barbara has a number of on-going programs that provide exceptional environmental benefits. Their recycling programs divert 75 percent of office waste from the landfill. They encourage alternative transportation through shared office vehicles, including scooters and bikes, and have bike storage facilities and showers on site. Their office space uses 50 percent less energy than a conventional office building due to use of ventilation and natural lighting. They have landscaped the area surrounding their office using native, drought-tolerant species to conserve water. Also, permeable and planted parking surfaces are used to prevent runoff of storm water. Employees spend many volunteer hours educating other architects, contractors and the public on green building practices: they lecture on sustainability topics at colleges and universities; they work on the Sustainability Project's Green Building Guidelines and Parade of Green Buildings; and they participate in other efforts, including the Innovative Building Review Program, and the Community Environmental Council's Creekwatcher Program.

Cottage Health System

Cottage Health System (CHS), the parent organization of the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, has developed a well-rounded effort to protect the environment. The Cottage Hospital Employee Suggestion System (CHESS) encourages employees to submit suggestions for improving operations in ways that will save natural resources and money, and suggestions have led to more efficient use of natural gas and water. CHS also offers a comprehensive "Employee Commuter Program" that offers: a prize drawing for employees who use alternative means of transport at least eight times per month; half-price bus passes; match-lists for carpooling; emergency rides home; and a pre-tax flexible spending program for expenses on buses and vanpools. CHS employees participate in a Recycling Task Force, which has developed the REACH program (Recycling Encouraged at Cottage Hospital). Recycling containers have been placed throughout the facility, and nutrition workers recycle materials left on cafeteria trays by patrons. The Children's Center at CHS uses the facility-wide recycling program to educate the children about the importance of recycling.

Hayward Truss

Hayward Truss recently built a 50,000-square-foot component manufacturing facility in Santa Maria that has achieved the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The facility is a model of water and energy conservation, and incorporates recycled materials and sustainable products. Stored rainwater is used for landscape irrigation. Waterless urinals and low flow faucets provide additional water savings. Natural lighting and building additions, such as window awnings and roof overhangs, reduce thermal heating and thus energy demands. The photovoltaic panels on the roof provide more than enough electricity to power the building; surplus energy is sold back to the local utility. The parking lot is paved with permeable pavers that allow rainwater to filter down through the soil and replenish the groundwater basin. Operations within the plant are also environmentally friendly. Computer technology is used to ensure precise cuts and optimize wood use, sustainable timber can be used in the manufacturing of the SolarTrussÔ, and a recycling program ensures that all wood waste is recycled into mulch or compost. In addition, the facility has a heating system that uses heat exchangers that warm outside intake air with exhaust hot air to reduce the use of natural gas

Pacifica Graduate Institute

Pacifica Graduate Institute is a small graduate school for psychology and mythological studies in Carpinteria that has incorporated natural resource protection into its daily operations. The grounds of the campus are landscaped with native and Mediterranean drought tolerant plants, and maintained with drip and minispray systems to save water. In addition, trimmings and prunings from the landscape are composted and reapplied to the landscape and integrated pest management strategies are utilized to reduce the need for hazardous chemicals. The facility has an active program for the recycling of paper, cardboard, aluminum, and plastic among other materials and purchases recycled-content materials where possible. Energy conservation practices are encouraged throughout the campus. Staff can have flexible schedules and telecommute to reduce traffic demands in the area. In addition, Pacifica has developed a unique educational format, which utilizes 3-day learning sessions held once a month and coursework that can be completed at home.

Seagate RSS LLC

Seagate RSS LLC is a multi-national company with a facility in Santa Maria. Seagate researches and develops digital information storage technology. Seagate has an outstanding product stewardship philosophy - they have gone beyond thinking of their products in terms of "cradle to grave" to "cradle to cradle" which has resulted in a large scale move toward a green manufacturing environment. In Santa Maria, they have reduced the on-site usage and storage of hazardous chemicals by 67% from January 2001 to April 2002. In addition, Seagate RSS LLC is finalizing the implementation of a "return to vendor" program for all chemical samples received for trial use. They have replaced solvents with water-based cleaners and use less toxic alternatives wherever possible. Seagate purchases recycled content materials and has an established solid waste reduction and recycling plan for such materials as paper, cardboard, scrap metal, computers and their associated components, spent production materials, hazardous materials, and wood. An internal "Presidential Award" program encourages employees to make suggestions for ways to reduce impact on the environment. Seagate also participates in a Pacific Gas & Electric Company program to reduce energy use from lighting.