Walking the Green Walk:  In tight budget times Jackson County expands Environmental Commitment

The public expects government to be good stewards of our environment, and Jackson County remains fully committed to that principle even during an unprecedented and ongoing budget crisis. Although nothing tests an organization’s commitment to being green quite like a shrinking budget, our employees are passing that test by reorganizing and continuing our award-winning environmental programs – at a savings to taxpayers.

In fact – Jackson County isn’t just continuing our environmental leadership – we’re expanding! Recycling of aluminum cans and plastic bottles is now available at 42 locations in our Jackson County Parks! Park patrons can now recycle at 3 marinas, 36 park shelters and 3 game field complexes. This project catapults Jackson County into a leading position for Park recycling programs in the Midwest.

Following is a short list of Jackson County’s continuing environmental programs and activities:

• Workplace Recycling – 70 different items recycled in all facilities daily.
• EarthWalk 2007 – Jackson County wins Top Government Team!
• Clean Out Your Files Day 2007 – All departments including Courts collected over 17,000 pounds of recyclables. This year, Shed Time donated the trucks needed. (Savings!)
• Computer Recycling
• Furniture Reuse
• Rotating Recycling Centers – Lake Lotawana Recycling Center is staffed by 3 Parks employees and volunteers every 2nd weekend of the month, providing bins for newspaper, cardboard, paperboard, office paper, magazines, plastic bottles, aluminum/steel cans, and glass. Cell phones, batteries, tennis shoes, plastic newspaper sleeves and Styrofoam are also being recycled. Grain Valley has assumed full responsibility for its center, as Raytown has for its center. (Savings!)
• Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation – Jackson County Operating Engineers monitor 9 County buildings for energy efficiency and water saving programs, previously monitored by a Johnson Controls contract. (Savings!)
• Green Purchasing – from remanufactured toner cartridges, to cleaning supplies, office supplies, carpet, and more.
• Chiefs Kids Recycling Challenge
• County Executive Drives Hybrid Vehicle (Savings!)
• Lake Clean Up Day
• Parks Recycling
• Missouri River Relief Project
• Plastic & Styrofoam Recycling
• Jail Waste Diversion and Cardboard Bailing
• Employee Environmental Training
• LEED Certification Program
• Green Flash Distribution
• Adopt-A-Highway
• MARC Partnerships on Solid Waste, Air Quality, Water Quality, Household Hazardous Waste
• Green Building Permits
• Green Transit Incentives
• Trigen Energy Project
• Jackson County Stormwater Commission
• Kansas City Climate Protection
• Blue River and Upper Blue River Watershed Initiatives
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
• Infiltration and Inflow Plan
• EPA Cooperation (Ozone Alert Day, Air Quality, etc.)
• Stadiums Recycling
• Reuse Centers
• Used Oil Burning Furnace
• Boy Scouts Community Partnership
• Resource Conservation Committees

Jackson County is conducting a performance analysis of all county activities with strong citizen support. Such a comprehensive effort requires a good hard look at the status quo: what works, what doesn’t, and what can work even better with improvements. This strengthens our environmental values, because stewardship requires not only the preservation and responsible use of natural resources, but also fiscal and operational accountability.

The credit for Jackson County’s Environmental success has always gone to our Jackson County employees. Now our employees are doing more than ever before to protect and preserve our environment. Jackson County employees don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

For more information about recycling and other environmental programs, visit Bridging the Gap.