Photo caption: L to R: John Ravitz, Vice President and COO Business Council of Westchester; Scott Fernqvist, Dani Glaser and Ethan Kravitz, The Green Business Partnership: Joe Curto, Yonkers Tennis; Jason Baker, City of Yonkers: Jane Solnick, Con Edison; Peter McCartt, Westchester County.
Business Council member Yonkers Tennis Center (YTC) hosted a ceremony last week to celebrate its certification through the Green Business Partnership (GBP), a joint initiative of the BCW and Westchester County Government. Some highlights of the changes made at Yonkers Tennis Center include:
- 100% of electricity is offset by renewable energy credits (35% wind, 65% hydro);
- LED lighting system on tennis courts increased light levels and cut energy use in half, saving money every single month;
- Signs throughout the club let members know ownership cares, and encourages them to report leaks that may waste water;
- 10,000 tennis balls are recycled through donations each year, given to schools and service dog trainers;
- Waterless toilets reduce water consumption and waste;
Joe shared that he didn’t think much about sustainability until his daughter entered middle school and founded a club to enhance environmental awareness. He supported her, got involved in other initiatives, and before long, knew it was time for YTC to go green.
“The Green Business Partnership team is very friendly and extremely easy to work with,” said Joe. “They were always encouraging, and all of the events they host offer great networking with other business owners who are also very supportive.” Joe also pointed out that the greening and certification was accomplished with a lot of help from then-intern Ethan Kravitz, who is now an employee of the Green Business Partnership. Interns are available to any company that wishes to have assistance becoming certified.
To learn more about the Green Business Partnership, visit www.greenbusinesspartnership.org.
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