Quarry Hill

Quarry Hill Goes Green

Posted on Monday August 1

Concern for the environment—both indoors and out—is revolutionizing the way Quarry Hill cares for its buildings and grounds.

Within the Anderson Inn, home to some 170 residents, recycling has become standard procedure. Employees here have been recycling paper, cans, plastics, cardboard boxing, batteries, returnable bottles, and more for years—and encouraging residents to do the same. Environmental concerns are driving everyday cleaning choices, too, with housekeepers using earth-friendly agents for everything from surface cleaning to odor elimination.

Other initiatives seek to minimize Quarry Hill’s energy footprint. Spurred by the results of an audit undertaken about two years ago, the community has continued its transition from incandescent to watt-scrimping compact-flourescent and LED lighting in hallways, lobbies, and common rooms. In some areas, automatic on/off switches have been installed, and insulation has been added to cut fuel consumption.

Outdoors as well, there’s evidence of Quarry Hill’s increasingly “green” ethic. Fewer chemicals on the community’s 26-acre lawnscape means cleaner groundwater and reduced exposure for people, pets, and wildlife. So groundskeepers are using chemicals less, and organic fertilizers more, to keep Quarry Hill’s natural environment green in every sense of the word.

For more information about recycling programs and other “green” initiatives in your area, contact your local town, city, or county government; visit your public library; or try http://earth911.com or www.thedailygreen.com and click on “Get local info.” For tips on reducing your environmental footprint at home and at work, visit www.go-green.com.