Catawba County Green Initiatives

Catawba County Buys Recycled
Catawba County Solid Waste Management
Air Quality Forecast
EcoComplex
Green Construction Permitting Incentive
Green Team Blog
Keep Catawba County Beautiful
Our Green Initiatives

Recycling of paper in desk side containers
Scanning documents to reduce printing
Reusing the back side of non- confidential paper
Shut down computers nightly
Purchasing from vendors who offer green catalog
Recycle toner cartridges from printers
Recycle used batteries and cell phones
Recycle aluminum drink cans
Offer online tax bill payments
Various employees car pool to work and meetings
A good number of employees bring lunch and eat in the break room.

Through daily practice, Catawba County promotes a culture among staff and the community of positively impacting our environment. Some of these activities are performed at an organizational level, while others are performed at an individual level. The following is a list of current green initiatives.

Printing only when necessary. Paper recycling and working towards the paperless office.
Use of rechargeable batteries and recycling of batteries
Staff carpools when possible.
Electrical devices shut down when not in use.
Reduction of travel by leveraging technologies.
Working with the National Urban Area Security Initiative to connect a nine-county area through use of teleconferencing.
Searching for a permanent hybrid solution for fleet vehicles.
Study of animal shelter to make it Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) compliant.
Use of environmentally friendly chemicals and products.
Inspections scheduled according to geographic groups to reduce travel.
Recycling of paper and other items.
Processes now using electronic forms.
Office supplies and products purchased from vendors offering green catalogs.
Contractors and vendors requested to use, and properly dispose of, environmentally- friendly materials.
County documents scanned for storage and retrieval reducing printing and storage costs.
Ink cartridge and cell phone recycling containers for public use.
Replacement of all T-12 light fixtures with T-8 fixtures which are 40% more efficient.
Incandescent bulbs replaced with fluorescent bulbs as needed.
Partnership with North Carolina Cooperative Extension to ensure the use of environmentally friendly mulch, herbicides and pesticides.
Continued use of biodiesel fuels and research of alternative fuels for county vehicles.
Rainwater capture for landscape irrigation.
New work order tracking program to reduce the department’s use of paper and fuels.
Installation of water saving plumbing fixtures.
Online access to County information and forms has reduced printing by thousands of pages.
Created Catawba County Green blog website.
Helped develop Adopt-A-Street litter collection program.
Donated trees for planting.
Stormwater, landscape design, plant selection and appropriate pesticide & fertilizer use education programs.
Open spaces encouraged in new subdivisions and building projects.
Oxford Dam & Riverbend Park volunteer litter sweep program.
Over 600 acres of managed natural habitat.
Use of recycled materials in construction projects where possible (e.g. picnic tables)
Conduct Environmental Awareness Contests.
Air quality monitored and reported to community.
Styrofoam and plastic disposables reduced through use of ceramic mugs, silverware and non-disposable plates and bowls
Use of recycled toner and recycle empty printer cartridges.
Use of task lighting rather than overhead lighting when possible.
Reduce telephone book distribution from mass to as needed.
Maintaining open, clear storm drains.
Check facilities for air leaks and drafts.
Donation of usable used computer equipment to underprivileged children.
Electronic devices properly recycled.
Computer virtualization and server consolidation reducing HVAC and power requirements.
Implementation of telecommuting policies.