Guest Column, Winter 2004

Ecology Action Takes Home a Governor's Award

by Victor Aguiar, ProMAX coordinator, Santa Cruz Ecology Action

Ecology Action of Santa Cruz received a Governor’s Economic and Environmental Leadership Award in Sacramento on December 1, 2003. Governor Schwarzenegger presented awards to 24 businesses, agencies, and organizations that have developed inventive, successful, cost-effective environmental initiatives. The award acknowledges Ecology Action’s growth during the last 34 years into a valuable collaborator with communities all over California and beyond.

Ecology Action, operators of the ProMAX materials reuse network for the Monterey Bay area, recently received a Reuse Assistance Grant from the CIWMB that will allow an upgrade to the online system. The grant comes through the County of Santa Cruz Department of Public Works, who has sponsored ProMAX since its inception in 1996. The upgrade will be very similar to the NapaMAX site, funded in 2002 by CIWMB. ProMAX staff is excitedly looking forward to employing the automation and improved tracking capabilities.

ProMAX materials exchange works closely in the community, although the data maintenance aspects of the program are admittedly somewhat more labor intensive than we would like. Measuring the amounts of materials diverted from the landfills through the program—as for many other materials exchanges—is an arduous task. The upgrade will change the method of reporting the exchange of materials and should allow ProMAX to flourish.

ProMAX has helped forge some very meaningful business relationships in the community. Many referrals are made from one party to another, and some result in ongoing arrangements. One such partnership is the subject of recent promotional efforts put forth by two local businesses, Ecology Action and both the County and City of Santa Cruz.

“Our company has been looking for a way to reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill for several years,” says Irene Davis, General Manager at Sun Chai. “It seemed sinful to throw away the volume of potentially useful organic materials that resulted from making our delicious chai drinks. This partnership allows us to reduce our company’s waste by over 95 percent. We save on waste disposal costs while creating a new revenue stream for Terra Nova, who takes our waste and uses it as a specialty mulch product for their landscape customers.”

Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping is a highly visible business, and its bicycle trailers loaded with tools are seen regularly on the streets of Santa Cruz. “We are demonstrating how our Santa Cruz urban community can act like an ecosystem,” says owner Ken Foster. “This partnership will highlight the value of sustainable business practices from the perspective of the ‘triple bottom line.’ The ‘triple bottom line’ puts emphasis on ecological stewardship, social equity, and economic viability.”

The possibilities for conserving resources are vast, and Ecology Action is working hard to realize them. This organization continues to employ remarkable people who create great projects and keep them running smoothly.

The Santa Cruz County Materials Exchange Program<
ProMAX: www.ecoact.org/
Contact:
Ecology Action
P.O. Box 1188
Santa Cruz, CA 95061-1188
(831) 426-5925 ext. 28

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Last updated: August 01, 2008