Sustainability Partnership

2023 Green Ossining Sustainability Partnership

June 23, 2023

We’re back! Check out the following press release to learn more about this year’s Green Ossining Sustainability Partnership and our presentation of this year’s recipients which were awarded at our recently-launched monthly Green Drinks Series.

 

The winners are listed below by category.

Food & Beverage (Brick & Mortar): Baked by Susan, Blue Pig, Brothers Fish & Chips, Cravin Jamaican Cuisine, Fable: From Farm to Table, FarmEats BBQ, First Village Coffee, Food that Fits You/Root2rise, Sing Sing Kill Brewery

Food & Beverage (non Brick & Mortar): 6 Degrees Or Less Brewery

General Business: Fable: Farm to Table, Hudson Valley Books for Humanity, Hudson Valley Vertical Farms, Just Eyes Optometry, Ossining Riverworks, Regina’s Essentials, Theater O

Organizations: Bethany Arts Community, Ethical Society of Northern Westchester, Neighbors Link, Second Chance Foods, Teatown Lake Reservation, The Center at Mariandale, Westchester Land Trust

 

This year’s criteria:

1. Use of energy-efficient lighting and lower energy options
2. Use of compostable single-use products (dining ware items (i.e. utensils,
to-go containers) in place of all plastics or other non-compostable material
3. Focus on recycling and training of staff as to proper methods
4. Employ composting of food waste by employees and/or customers
5. Installation of signage to assure that customers and staff are recycling,
and/or properly sorting compostables
6. Reduction/elimination of single-use and non-recyclable products
7. Use of paper products with at least 30% post-consumer recycled content
8. Use Green Seal Certified and/or naturally derived cleaning products
9. Employ an effort and/or means to reduce energy waste/usage
10. Encourage staff to carpool, use public transportation, and/or reduce their single-occupancy vehicle usage
11. Employ an effort and/or means to reduce water waste/usage
12. Limit use of pesticides where applicable
13. Work with like-minded, environmentally conscious partners and vendors
14. Reduce paper mailings via increased usage of such things as email and electronic media

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Green Ossining Sustainability Partnership Relaunches

August 30, 2022

The GREEN OSSINING SUSTAINABILITY PARTNERSHIP (G.O.S.P.) is an opportunity to acknowledge local business leaders who have taken action toward reducing their carbon footprint. Green Ossining’s mission is to promote environmental sustainability community-wide, and develop practical methods that protect our natural resources. G.O.S.P. is an initiative to identify businesses in the community who are following a broad range of sustainable and environmentally sound business practices in the daily operation of their enterprises.

We have updated our criteria and plan to relaunch this program so that in addition to acknowledging local businesses, we can also offer a better networking community for sharing practices. 

2022/2023 CRITERIA

  • Use of energy efficient lighting and lower-energy options , including use of LED bulbs in place of compact fluorescent lights (CFL)
  • Focus on recycling and training of staff as to proper methods
  • Installation of signage to assure that customers and staff are recycling and/or properly sorting compostables
  • Use of compostable single-use products (dining-ware items (including utensils, to-go containers, etc.) in place of all plastics or other non-compostable-based materials
  • Reduction/elimination of single use and non-recyclable products
  • Use of paper products with at least 30% post-consumer recycled content
  • Encourage staff to carpool, use public transportation, and/or reduce their single occupancy vehicle usage
  • Employ composting of food waste by employees and/or customers
  • Limit use of pesticides where applicable
  • Use Green Seal Certified and/or naturally derived cleaning products
  • Employing an effort and/or means to reduce water waste/usage
  • Employing an effort and/or means to reduce energy usage
  • Work with like-minded, environmentally conscious partners and vendors
  • Reduce paper mailings via increased usage of email and electronic media

Stay tuned for more updates. 

 

Green Ossining Sustainability Partnership

Green Ossining Launches ‘Green Ossining Sustainability Partnership’

Acknowledging local business leaders who have taken action toward reducing their carbon footprint

November 27, 2018   Ossining, NY –  Green Ossining is proud to announce the nomination of 12 business establishments in Ossining, New York as the first designees of the newly created Green Ossining Sustainability Partnership. Sustainability partners act on a commitment to reducing energy usage, eliminating or cutting back on single use materials, reducing solid waste, relying on organic or locally sourced ingredients, and focusing on the community’s overall well-being epitomizing the concept of “doing well by doing good.”

These deserving business leaders include Tom Deacon, founder of Fable Farms; Laurie Gershgorn, chef and owner of Good Choice Kitchen; Kathryn and Luis Corena, owners of First Village Coffee; Roger Mason and Leah DiSisto, chefs and owners of Basta Restaurant; Olga Bonilla, chef and owner of Los Abuelos Restaurant; Jon Zeltsman and Miriam Haas, owners of Down to Earth Markets; David and Lynn Schofield, owners of SBS Printing & Shipping; Scott Ryan, co-founder of 6 Degrees of Separation Restaurant & Brewery; Eric Gearity and Matt Curtin, co-owners of Sing Sing Kill Brewery; Sharon Rowe, founder of ECOBAGS; Elmer Oliveros, chef and co-owner of Brother’s Fish & Chips; Barbara Sarbin, founder and educational program director of Something Good in the World.

Each of these visionary entrepreneurs recognizes that environmentally sustainable business practices contribute to the overall success of their business, all while contributing positively to our community and our planet.

 “Doing the right thing for the environment often means you’re doing the right thing for your bottom line. Many local business owners get that. The Green Ossining Sustainability Partnership is a great way for those forward-thinking business owners to get some extra thanks from local patrons, while inspiring more businesses to follow their lead” said Victoria Gearity, Mayor, Village of Ossining.

The Green Ossining Sustainability Partnership and its designated members will serve as a valuable resource for members of the Ossining business community wishing to learn more about the practical benefits of environmentally sustainable methods that can be applied to their individual enterprises. It will also identify and promote its members to the residents of Ossining and Westchester County and attract customers who wish to patronize local merchants who are doing their best to become good citizens of the environment.

Bruce Brandfon, spearheading the effort and a member of Green Ossining, comments that “Ossining now has the opportunity to identify itself as one of New York State’s most outstanding sustainable communities.”

Dana Levenberg, Supervisor, Town of Ossining said, “Green Ossining has truly helped our community focus on sustainability in a meaningful way.  The Sustainability Partnership gets down to brass tacks in terms of simple steps any business can take to be an environmental steward.  Our younger generation tends to recognize these attitudes and patronizes businesses who share their vision for a lasting and green future.  Kudos to Green Ossining for recognizing these outstanding businesses and to the businesses themselves for taking our environment very seriously.  I certainly hope many more businesses will follow.”

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

  • Use of energy efficient lighting and lower energy options
  • Focus on recycling and training of staff as to proper methods
  • Installation of signage to assure that customers and staff are recycling
  • Reduction/elimination of single use and non-recyclable products
  • Use of paper products with at least 30% post-consumer recycled content
  • Encourage staff to carpool and/or use public transportation
  • Explore/encourage composting of food waste
  • Limit use of chemicals or pesticides where applicable
  • Use Green Seal Certified and/or naturally derived cleaning products
  • Update water consuming products to create efficiencies
  • Work with like-minded, environmentally conscious partners and vendors
  • Reduce paper mailings via increased usage of digital media

Top Row: (Left to Right) David Schofield (SBS Printing & Shipping; Bruce Brandfon (Green Ossining), Victoria Gearity (Mayor, Village of Ossining), Dana Levenberg (Supervisor, Town of Ossining), Scott Ryan (Six Degrees of Separation); Second Row: (Left to Right) Tom Deacon (Fable Farm), Emily Sack (Green Ossining), Eric Gearity (Sing Sing Kill Brewery); Bottom Row (Left to Right) Ron Lowenthal(Green Ossining), Suzie Ross (Green Ossining), Matt Curtin (Sing Sing Kill Brewery), Jen Benson (Green Ossining), Laurie Gershgorn (Good Choice Kitchen), Dacotah Rousseau (Down to Earth Markets). Not Pictured: Olga Bonilla (Los Abuelos), Roger Mason & Leah Disisto (Basta), Elmer Oliveros (Brothers Fish & Chips), Sharon Rowe (ECOBAGS)