Watch the Full Press Conference HERE.
April 22, 2019 -- Westchester County Executive George Latimer and the Department of Environmental Facilities proudly announced the winners of the 2019 Westchester County Eco Awards at Kensico Dam Plaza. The awards recognized outstanding contributions to the County’s local environment and sustainability, made by residents, students and schools, municipalities, businesses and other organizations.
Westchester County Executive Latimer said: “I am thankful to all of this year’s Eco Award winners. Their initiatives and projects improve our County’s environment and sustainability, while helping to make Westchester County a healthy, green place to live, work and visit.”
County Executive Latimer was on hand to present the awards, and meet with the winners. In addition to schools, students, local businesses, nonprofits and other organizations, three municipalities also received awards for posting the highest curbside recycling rates in 2018: Town of Pound Ridge, Town of Lewisboro and City of Rye. The efforts of these municipalities and others help to make Westchester County one of the best recycling counties in New York State.
Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Facilities Louis Vetrone said: “Westchester County continues to be a leader in environmental management and sustainability, and our residents, businesses and school districts are a major part of that success. The Eco Awards provide an opportunity to recognize those contributions.”
The 2019 Eco Award Winners are as follows:
Town of Pound Ridge: for achieving the highest municipal curbside recycling rate in Westchester County in 2018 (41%).
Town of Lewisboro: for achieving a municipal curbside recycling rate of 32% in 2018.
City of Rye: for achieving a municipal curbside recycling rate of 29% in 2018.
City of Rye: for conducting a Zero Waste Day in conjunction with the County’s Household Recycling Day Event.
Village of Ossining: for developing a comprehensive waste and recycling information package in both English and Spanish.
Village of Scarsdale: for offering residents a “Take It or Leave It” drop-off site, and a Furniture Sharehouse donation box at the Village’s Recycling Center.
Town of Yorktown: for assisting with the clean-up of organic waste resulting from a series of devastating storms in March 2018.
White Plains School District: for the addition of five new buses that run on electricity-fueled batteries and do not produce tailpipe fumes.
Katonah-Lewisboro School District: for utilizing wind-powered electricity.
Sustainable Westchester: for unveiling a community solar project at the manufacturing facility of Quality Circle Products (QCP).
Teatown Environmental Science Academy: for providing a summer program for high school students that provides them with invaluable hands-on experience studying the Teatown preserve while working with Teatown’s field scientists.
Also receiving awards, three students who continued their Teatown projects and won awards at the Westchester Science & Engineering Fair:
Caroline Smith, senior at Somers High School (TESA ’16): WESEF 1st Place Award in the Plant Science category. “The effect of the invasive species Eurasian milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) versus the native species coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) on lake water quality.”
Dylan Spedaliere, junior at Ossining High School (TESA ’16): WESEF 2nd Place Award in the Animal Sciences category. “Investigating the microhabitat preferences of northern two-lined salamanders using abiotic and biotic indicators of water quality.”
Emily Olivier, senior at Yorktown High School (TESA ’15): WESEF 3rd Place Awards in the Animal Sciences category. “The biodiversity of macromoths in suburban developments.”
Danone North America: for embracing the vision “One Planet, One Health,” which illustrates the company’s commitment to sustainable food, and expanding its line of healthy and organic fare.
Captain Lawrence Brewing Company: for retrofitting the brewery with a more efficient boiler to cut down on water and fuel consumption and reduce NOx emissions.
Broken Bow Brewery: for sustainable practices, including composting spent grain, providing beer to local municipalities for pre-deicing before a storm, using repurposed materials in their brewery and tasting room, and supporting local environmental organizations.
Ludlow Commons: a 71-unit affordable senior housing development, the building is LEED Gold certified and NYSERDA’s Energy Star Multi-Family Program compliant.
Wartburg: the 152-year old eldercare community has converted to LED lighting with an upgrade of 5,000 fixtures and approximately 11,000 new LED lamps.
Dunkin in Hartsdale: for sustainable practices, including composting, energy-efficient LED lighting and a switch to 100 percent paper cups.
LimeBike: for instituting a dockless bike program in Westchester County.