Latest news with #SustainabilityCommittee
The Courier
3 days ago
- Business
- The Courier
The Proctor Group meets milestone sustainability target one year early
Blairgowrie-based construction products manufacturer, the Proctor Group, has surpassed its target of reducing carbon emissions by at least 25 tonnes in six years. Some Courier online content is funded by outside parties. The revenue from this helps to sustain our independent news gathering. You will always know if you are reading paid-for material as it will be clearly labelled as 'Partnership' on the site and on social media channels, This can take two different forms. This means the content has been paid for and produced by the named advertiser. This means the content has been paid for and approved by the named advertiser but written and edited by our own commercial content team. The Group's Sustainability Committee established the ambitious target against a 2019 baseline of 197.7 tonnes. Analysis of figures to the end of 2024 shows the Group has actually delivered a carbon saving of 29 tonnes in that time, with total emissions reduced to 168.7 tonnes. All figures have been arrived at following extensive external independent advice. Further reductions are expected once 2025's carbon emissions can be analysed, and the Board will discuss further measures to maintain the level of commitment shown so far. 'Sustainability is integral to our operations,' said Keira Proctor, managing director of the Proctor Group. 'Our mission is to reduce our environmental impact, including collaborating with our supply chain partners to promote sustainable practices and reduce the overall environmental impact of our products and services. 'Looking ahead, we will continue to enhance our sustainability efforts and engage with our local communities. 'Setting a significant-yet-achievable target was important for driving progress. It also had to be clear and measurable, so we could hold ourselves to account. 'We're pleased to announce the results so far, and sustainability will continue to be a major consideration in future business decisions.' One of the biggest contributors to the carbon reductions achieved so far has been the installation of solar panels on the Group's factory roof, which has also helped to reduce electricity bills. Other measures include new double glazing at the Head Office, and a transition to LED lighting across all business operations. A hybrid car policy and a cycle to work scheme have also been introduced, while remote working practices have ensured an overall reduction in staff travel. The Proctor Group has also sought to have a direct positive impact on the environment by supporting forestry projects and tree planting both at home in Scotland, and further afield on the Chinchina River Basin in Colombia. Together, these two initiatives are expected to deliver some 58 tonnes of carbon credits.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Harris farm property annexed into Middletown for public park
The town of Middletown has annexed about 30 acres of existing farmland into corporate limits to become a public park. Middletown's commissioners and burgess unanimously voted on Monday to annex the Harris Farm property, which is south of Old National Pike and across from Old Hagerstown Road, into the town's limits. In an interview on Wednesday, Burgess John Miller said around 26 of the acres, which are in a floodplain, will be developed into a "passive park." He said he used the term "passive" because the town does not want lights, late activity or noise. Miller said the park will be similar to Wiles Branch Park with recreational fields, such as football, lacrosse and soccer fields, as well as pavilion or gazebo-like structures. He added that there is "a great need in town for recreational fields, and we have a very active youth athletic association." "We're trying to help them meet their demands while also meeting the needs of other park goers and other amenities that they might want to have there," Miller said. Town Commissioner Kevin Stottlemyer, who also chairs the Sustainability Committee, added that the town in the future hopes to extend the walking trails of Wiles Branch Park and connect the two together. He said the connected trails "will really be nice" because the Harris property borders Catoctin Creek. Miller said the creek is "a beautiful feature of that park." Miller said the property has operated as a farm since before the Civil War. Before the Harris family owned the property, he said, the Sheffran family operated a mill there. Stottlemyer added that the Harrises also ran a plumbing business on the property until a few years ago. Miller said the buildings on the front of the property, which were used for the plumbing business, will now be used by the town as an extension of its maintenance facility. Stottlemyer said the town partnered with Silvoculture, a nonprofit organization based in Myersville, to plant trees such as pawpaw, persimmon and cherry along the walking trail and stream bank of the property for erosion control. He said the state grant will be approved "hopefully" by the summer to plant the trees this fall, and the project will be "a really nice legacy project for the community." "Certain segments of the property lend itself to that," Stottlemyer said. "The lower section lays somewhat wet. It can't really be utilized for any other purpose, so to speak." He added that if the grant is approved, Silvoculture will plant the trees and provide upkeep for the first two years. Miller said at public hearings for the annexation, the community had "kind of mixed" feelings about the change of the property. "I think many people came there thinking that their farm view now was going to be basically lighted fields and things going on all hours of the day, and we allayed those fears," he said. "That's not our intention for that park." Miller added that many of the surrounding residents have lived there for over 20 years, and their backyard has always been a farm. "It's different than what they're used to, and that causes them some concern, and they ask good questions," he said. "But I think they left knowing that we're good stewards of that property and of our town, and we'll make sure that they're protected as much as they can be." Miller said the next step is to create a five- to 10-year master plan "to develop a concept of what we'd like to see down there."
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Residents of retirement community launch ambitious new mission: 'We want to make a difference'
A retirement community in Iowa City, Iowa, is proving you can do your part to help the environment and make the world a better place at any age. With a community mindset and help from a city grant, residents in the Oaknoll retirement community managed to divert 11,000 pounds of food waste from landfills via composting in a mere three months. They aim to divert 70,000 pounds within the next year, The Gazette revealed. Since organic waste products create methane as they deteriorate, they are responsible for a large amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, making the amount of waste diverted significant. The community's compost is removed to a landfill alternative that is zero-waste, turning trash into nutrient-rich compost perfect for use in gardens. In 2022, residents of Oaknoll became curious about whether composting could be an option for the community and spoke with dining services director Bruce Titus about separating food and other compostable items at the community restaurant, the Press-Citizen reported. Titus supported the plan, as he had previously implemented composting at his former restaurant. Titus unsuccessfully applied for a state grant the following year to cover the associated costs of starting a composting program, per The Gazette, but a handful of residents donated a little over $10,000 in total to set up the program. Eventually, the composting program was awarded $9,122 from Iowa's Climate Action Grant program, which went to purchasing compostable bags and composting bins for the residents. According to The Gazette, Titus said, "We've got young staff that are really dedicated and want to do this. But we also have residents that are, you know, in their 80s and 90s that are saying, 'Hey, we want to make a difference. Let's continue to do this.'" This isn't the only sustainability project Oaknoll residents have undertaken, either. In 2023, resident Sara Rynes-Weller helped found the Oaknoll Sustainability Committee, per The Gazette. Just a few projects this committee has worked on include strengthening their recycling program (which has been around since at least 1999), educating residents on electric vehicles, and building community gardens. The Sustainability Committee isn't the first resident committee dedicated to eco-friendliness and sustainability, though, as previously there was the Future Committee. Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely Sometimes Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The current committee operates a bit differently, though. Rynes-Weller explained to The Gazette, "We had to do things that the Future group didn't have to do. … We have to report once a year to the resident council, so that made it more formal and gave it more credibility." The Sustainability Committee doesn't plan to stop with just composting, though. They have big sustainability plans for the future, such as reducing the amount of pesticides used in the community and offering more vegetarian options in their restaurants. CEO Steve Roe told The Gazette, "Most of our residents are very environmentally conscious, and we must keep up with their expectations." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
