Charlotte is known as a city of trees, but did you know that 100,000 pounds of lumber from them ends up in area landfills every day? This fact shocked the attendees at our May monthly mixer.  And it's the reason that Damon Barron, founder of Treecycle America, is passionate about rescuing those trees and giving them new life as lumber or furniture. Treecycle America is a collaborative network of certified architects, designers, developers, municipalities, arborists, sawmills, woodworkers, and makers embracing the common goal of using urban trees to their fullest potential.

Damon Barron views Charlotte's downed trees as a very underutilized resource!

This past Saturday, Sustain Charlotte's Board of Directors and staff gathered for our annual strategic planning retreat. Although this is a busy time of year, we place a very high priority on the planning process because it will guide our impact and growth over the next 12 months!

Following a review of 2015's achievements and challenges, board members met in committees to discuss 2016 goals for fundraising, marketing, governance, and fulfilling Sustain Charlotte's mission. We're grateful to OrthoCarolina and Hygge for donating a beautiful retreat space for us to plan and dream! 

We'll be sharing more of our goals in the upcoming months, but here's just a sample of the impact we intend to have in 2016:

• Expand our partnership with a low-income Charlotte neighborhood currently in our Sustainable Neighborhoods Program to engage residents and our Community Corps volunteers on sustainability projects that meet the neighborhood's needs.
• Welcome an additional low-income Charlotte neighborhood to our Sustainable Neighborhoods Program thanks to funding from the Duke Energy Foundation.
• Make it easier, safer, and more fun for Charlotteans of all ages and abilities to walk, ride a bike, or ride transit to their daily destinations. We're doing this through the activities of our Bicycle Program and Transportation Choices Alliance. More specifically, we're planning to bring you some very exciting new opportunities to ride a bike around Charlotte, planning Biketoberfest 2016, and continuing to work with other bicycle organizations.
• Bring you our biggest and best Sustain Charlotte awards yet! For the fifth consecutive year, we'll celebrate the amazing sustainability work being done throughout the area. Mark your calendar for the evening of Earth Day, April 22 and stay tuned for our announcements. We have an incredible sponsorship package this year that includes marketing benefits in a special Charlotte Business Journal Supplement. Click here to learn more.

Here's a short video of our board members sharing why they support Sustain Charlotte. 

Want to read their biographies? Click here to learn more about our incredible board members who volunteer their time, expertise, and passion to Sustain Charlotte.

We need YOUR help to make these goals a reality for 2016. Find out how easy it is to support us as a member for as little as $3 per month!

When was the last time you thought about the sustainability of the hot water or heating source at your workplace? Boilers aren't at the forefront of most peoples' minds when you ask them about corporate sustainability. But they're a major user of energy in many business and industrial settings.

During last night's Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer, Frank Salensky, CEO of Sustain Charlotte's Silver Partner Greffen Systems, explained to more than 50 attendees how his company saw potential for improving the energy efficiency of boilers. They developed a sustainable business model that's saving customers money while also reducing carbon emissions. 

Frank Salensky and Erwin Morrison discussed Greffen Systems' commitment to sustainability. 

Frank explained that Greffen's M2G is an advanced intelligent boiler control that optimizes the heating efficiency of hot water boilers. A unit attached to each boiler monitors the temperature of the water in the flow and return every 10 seconds. This control system keeps the boiler from firing unnecessarily. Greffen Systems products reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption by up to 30 percent with typical payback in fewer than 24 months. 

Erwin Morrison and Frank Salensky ended their presentation by explaining why they support Sustain Charlotte through partnership and noted, "It's incredible what Sustain Charlotte has accomplished in only five years!" We're so grateful for the generous support of Greffen Systems and all of our partners. To learn how Sustain Charlotte can partner with your organization, visit our partnership page. 

At the June 10 Environment Committee meeting of Charlotte City Council, Rob Phocas from Neighborhood & Business Services explained a variety of innovative environmental programs that the City is planning for both its own operations and the entire community. The committee's approved Environment Focus Area Plan includes "very aggressive and aspirational goals", according to Mr. Phocas. He showed the diagram below to illustrate how the five environmental initiatives (water, waste, air, energy, and Smart City) will each be supported by goals, metrics, a baseline, mid-term goals, and long-term goals. 

The Environment Focus Area Plan sets goals for both City operations and the entire community. 

The Energy Secure Cities Coalition (ESCC) is a project to move city fleets toward electric and hybrid technology in order to reduce fuel dependence and protect the environment. The ESCC is looking for 10 pilot cities to transition their municipal fleet. Council Member David Howard asked if this effort would include all city vehicles. Mr. Phocas replied that this program would cover light duty vehicles, and there are other programs in place to reduce emissions from heavy equipment and CATS vehicles. 

Where can you meet like-minded people who care about sustainability, hear from businesses that support sustainability, and enjoy some great beer? At our Sustain Charlotte monthly mixers! Our members and followers gathered Tuesday evening at Heist Brewing to network and hear from two speakers.

Attendees enjoyed stimulating conversation and meeting new friends. 

Over 50 sustainability enthusiasts from throughout the Greater Charlotte area gathered at Triple C Brewing on Tuesday evening to network and celebrate the success of our Transportation Choices Alliance’s Sustainable Commute Challenge.

During the month-long challenge, over 100 photos were submitted by area residents who walked, biked, or rode transit to their daily destinations. As the photos were shared by contestants, they drew thousands of ‘Likes’ and hundreds of new followers to the TCA's Facebook page. The challenge also initiated dozens of conversations among sustainable commuters, many of whom had never met in person.

Susan Patterson (center), Knight Foundation's Charlotte Program Director, congratulated the winners and participants.