We hope that you will join us TONIGHT for our first Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer! This networking event will be held from 6:00pm-7:30pm at The Liberty at 1812 South Blvd. 

Our Monthly Mixers provide an opportunity where you can learn more about us, our partners, and meet others interested in local sustainability. This month's featured speaker is Sustain Charlotte Gold Partner, Carolinas HealthCare System, to talk about their sustainability efforts. We'll also hear from Charlotte Area Transit System, to share the latest on the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar, and Solarize Cabarrus. To read more about our speakers and to RSVP, click here!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first Sustainable Choice Challenge by sharing with us how you reduce waste! Our winner for the most creative waste reduction strategy is...

Roger Diedrich for recovering discarded construction materials at nearby building sites and re-purposing them!

Roger Diedrich made this rain box and garden frame out of recovered construction site materials. 

And our winner for the most impactful waste reduction strategy is...

Dee Willbee, who told us, "I organized recycling at my Uptown apartment building. It took just one e-mail to City of Charlotte Solid Waste Services, who matched our existing 11 garbage carts within two weeks!"

New recycling containers at Dee Willbee's apartment building uptown, Tryon House, thanks to her action! 

Check out some of the other great ideas for reducing waste that were shared with us:

Geoff Fey upcycles expired plastic credit and membership cards into guitar picks and cell phone stands, Allyson Sipple composts, Scott Noel and his 2nd grade daughter Etta pack a waste free school lunch, and Cruise Carts pays bills online to go paperless.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our first Sustainable Choice Challenge!

Sustain Charlotte is hiring!  We are currently seeking a full-time Bicycle Program Manager. To read our job posting and how to apply click here, and please share with others to help us spread the word!  Applications close June 15.

 Raleigh is one of five cities featured in a new national report highlighting cities who have taken advantage of the many benefits of installing solar on public buildings. In addition to these five case studies, the report estimates that mid-sized cities could install up to 5,000 MW of solar -- as much as one-quarter of all solar installed in the U.S. to date -- on municipal facilities, with little to no cash up front, allowing cities to redirect millions in saved energy costs to other public purposes. We'd like to see Charlotte follow Raleigh's lead on this, wouldn't you? To read the full report, click here. 

"The garbage issue may be settled for the coming fiscal year, which begins in July. But council members said they will study how to best pay for garbage collection in the future. If council members approve the reduction in garbage fees for the upcoming year, they could vote to increase those fees again next year. The city could also start a 'Pay as You Throw' program, which would charge homeowners based on how much trash they produce," according to the Charlotte Observer. We are pleased the solid waste fee was not eliminated, as originally proposed, and hope the City will soon pilot a Pay As You Throw program to provide Charlotteans a financial incentive to reduce their waste. To read the full article, click here. 

 "[Tom] Low said market forces, especially a shift back to more compact living with shorter commutes, have helped power the resurgence of mixed-use developments," according to the Charlotte Observer. The completion of I-485 presents an opportunity for walkable, mixed-use development instead of the auto-only sprawl that has followed most of this beltway's construction.  We are encouraged that some developers are planning mixed-use projects already and hope all development spurred by this final segment will take this approach. To read the full article, click here.

Each month we feature a Sustain Charlotte supporter to give you a glimpse of who supports our work in your community. To become a supporting member, click here.

A little bit about Sustain Charlotte member June Blotnick...

Where do you live?
I’ve lived in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood in Charlotte for the past 20 years. We moved from Mecklenburg Avenue to Belvedere Avenue last May to a renovated 1940 bungalow. The new location allowed us to install a 6 kW solar array on the roof. I’m involved in our Plaza Midwood Community Garden and love the walkability of our neighborhood.

Are you working right now?  If so, what do you do?
I’ve been Executive Director of Clean Air Carolina since November, 2005. We have a staff of seven and a satellite office in Chapel Hill. We use education and advocacy to shift public policy to better protect the health of North Carolinians, our environment and our economy. Our programs engage doctors, nurses, scientists, air quality researchers, neighborhood organizations, government, the business sector and others to advance clean air solutions like renewable energy, sustainable transportation and land use planning, and clean construction.

What do you like to do for fun?
I’m going to find out during my 3-month sabbatical this summer. I’ll be traveling to national parks out West and exploring Iceland. In between traveling, I’ll be riding my bike around the neighborhood, doing more yoga, gardening, reading, and finishing a quilt that I started several years ago. I’d like to hear more live music and go dancing!

Why do you support Sustain Charlotte? 
I met [Sustain Charlotte Executive Director] Shannon [Binns] when he first moved to Charlotte and he told me about his goal of starting a nonprofit focused on sustainability. At the time Charlotte had an active environmental community and government, and the private sector and universities were implementing “sustainable” initiatives. But in a very short time, Shannon brought together a diverse group to assess what we’ve done, envision our future, celebrate our accomplishments and challenge our community to stretch our sustainability successes even further. Clean Air Carolina is a member of Sustain Charlotte's Transportation Choices Alliance because we know that in order to make substantial improvements in our air quality, we’ve got to move away from our car-centric transportation system and provide residents with more healthy and sustainable choices for getting around the region.

Help Sustain Charlotte by volunteering June 13th! Sustain Charlotte has been given the opportunity to raise funds for staffing the Latta Triathalon in Huntersville, NC by Paschal Promotions.

WHERE: Latta Plantation, 6211 Sample Rd, Huntersville NC 28078
WHEN: Saturday, June 13th from 4:30am to 11:00am. (6.5-hour shift)
WHY: To help Sustain Charlotte earn funds, while enjoying a beautiful summer morning! 
Click here for details and to sign up!

Go solar and take advantage of the Solarize Cabarrus NC Program! This is a citizen-led project to promote residential solar in Cabarrus and the entire Charlotte metro area. Everyone in the area is eligible to take advantage of this program! Visit the Solarize Cabarrus NC website now to read more about the volume discount, financing options, and tax credits: solarizecabarrusnc.com

June 2

Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer
6:00pm-7:30pm @ The Liberty, 1812 South Blvd, Charlotte. Join us for an informal and fun evening of conversation and networking. Our Monthly Mixers provide an opportunity where you can learn more about us, our partners, and meet others interested in local sustainability! Click here to read more and to RSVP.

June 8

Catawba Riverkeeper Mountain Island Lake Covekeepers Meeting
7:00pm-9:00pm @ Cook's Presbyterian Church, 3413 Mount Holly-Huntersville Road Charlotte, NC 28216. This is a monthly meeting of individuals interested in water issues relating to Mountain Island Lake. Meetings are held in a classroom in the east wing of the church (to the right of the sanctuary when you are facing the church). Meetings are open to the public.

June 13

Berewick Craft Beer Festival & Food Truck Rally
3pm-7pm @ Berewick Manor House, 6625 Berewick Commons Pkwy. This event benefits Sustain Charlotte! Come sample complimentary beers, purchase food, and enjoy entertainment by The Breakfast Club. For more information, click here.

June 16

Charlotte Green Team Meeting
3:30pm-5:00pm @ OMNI Charlotte, 132 EE. Trade Street, 28202. The topic of this meeting is, "Water: Will We Have Enough?". There is no charge to attend. To register, send an email to [email protected] with your name, organization & email saying you’d like to attend. 

GOLD PARTNERS

Belk - Boingo - Carolinas HealthCare System - Charlotte Green Team - Charlotte Magazine - DPS Construction - Environmental Window Solutions - National Gypsum - New Belgium Brewing - Packard Place - S&D Coffee & Tea - TreeCycle America - Triple C Brewing - Wells Fargo

SILVER PARTNERS

Duke Energy - Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont - Greffen Systems - Hannah Solar - The Home Collection - NC Sustainable Energy Association - Pasta & Provisions - Radiator Specialty Company - RED Group - Stantec - SunTrust Mortgage - UNC Charlotte IDEAS Center

BRONZE PARTNERS

Ad Spark Promo Products - Carolina Urban Lumber - Domtar - Greater Charlotte Apartment Association - Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte - Okra - PiES - Red Diamond Card - Renewable Energy Transition Initiative - SuperGreen Solutions  - Universal Institute for Successful Aging of Carolinas  - Weeklyrides.com