Three Brattleboro businesses will be awarded for their efforts to increase energy efficiency, use renewable sources of energy, and reduce global warming emissions. ReNew Building Materials & Salvage, Dr. Rebecca Jones, and Fibermark, Inc. will receive Brattleboro Climate Protection's second annual Sustainable Business Awards. "We're proud to honor these local businesses that are showing leadership in putting sustainable principles into practice", said BCP Executive Director Paul Cameron. The awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 20 during a meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard in the Brattleboro Municipal Center, 230 Main Street.

ReNew Building Materials & Salvage is a nonprofit business, operating a used building materials store on Putney Road that diverts usable products from the waste stream. It provides deconstruction services, offers classes and workshops for the construction trade, and awards small grants that support local nonprofit organizations that work for affordable housing.

Dr. Rebecca Jones has displayed a wide array of green building practices in renovating her office on Elliot Street, using recycled building materials and chemicals of low or no toxicity wherever possible. The office is super-insulated and has triple-glazed windows, making it approximately 70% more energy-efficient than a typical building. It also features a fresh air ventilation system, nontoxic paint and flooring, recycled drywall, carpeting, cabinets and countertops, along with high-efficiency lighting.

Fibermark, Inc. began burning up to 100% waste vegetable oil in its Wellington Road plant last year as an alternative to #6 fuel oil. With this switch, Fibermark has dramatically reduced its nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon emissions, improving Brattleboro's air quality and allowing the Town to achieve one of the goals in its Climate Action Plan, a reduction of at least 10% in carbon emissions below 2000 levels.

For more information:

Paul Cameron
Brattleboro Climate Protection
230 Main Street, Suite 202
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251-8135