• About
    • Our Mission and Who We Are
  • Take Action
    • Individual Action >
      • So Much You Can Do!
      • Run For Office
      • Buildings (Home/Office) >
        • Gas
      • Transportation
      • Food
      • Landscaping
      • Solar
      • Waste >
        • Gift Wrap
        • Reduce Plastic
    • Group Action >
      • Donate
      • Volunteer
    • IdleFree
    • More Action In Wellesley >
      • Other Local Organizations
      • Pollinate Wellesley >
        • Milkweed Sale
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Green Schools
    • Mission and Who We Are
    • Teachers >
      • Environmental Education
    • Green Team Representatives >
      • Smart Event Guide
      • Borrow Free Supplies for Your Event!
    • Families >
      • End of year Locker Cleanout Tips
      • School Supply list

Thinking of remodeling?  Get inspired by the Green Home of the Year!

11/7/2022

 
Picture
Built Environment Plus awarded this home remodeling the Green Home of The Year.
Here is why:
​
The owners of this 1930 home reached out to the designers with a long list of frustrations. Their kitchen was cramped, dark and isolated. The half-bath was tiny and lacked privacy. Insufficient insulation and old, inefficient systems made for hot summers, cold winters, and high utility bills.  While such frustrations are common for owners of older homes, the relationship these owners have with their house is anything but common. The husband’s grandfather was the home’s first owner, and his mother grew up there. He and his wife inherited the house and raised their children there. This family legacy imbued the project with special significance.  

The design team reoriented the kitchen towards the back yard, adding a full glass door and three windows that beckon onto a generous deck. They widened the opening between the kitchen and dining room, eliminating a pinch point and visually connecting the front and back of the house. They addressed the comfort complaints, inefficient systems, and high operating costs with a comprehensive package of insulation, air sealing and HVAC measures. They insulated the basement walls with 2” of closed cell spray foam; dense packed the wall cavities with cellulose; insulated the underside of the roof with 3” of closed cell spray foam followed by 7” of cellulose; reduced air leakage by 58%; and replaced the gas heating and hot water and window air conditioning with ducted heat pumps and a heat pump water heater. 
​

According to the judges, “The project demonstrates the value of preserving the embodied carbon of the home, which might have otherwise been demolished; yet accomplishes substantial energy savings and comfort improvements.  The project preserved the original character of this home as well as its neighborhood and was done affordably.  The judges were impressed with the practical approach that achieved such significant results.”

Pedals To Petals

9/8/2021

 
Picture
Looking for a fun and family-friendly outdoor activity? Take a leisurely bike ride or walk along a 2.8-mile garden tour around Wellesley that highlights pollinator gardens in Town. The self-guided tour will take you past gardens at the Wellesley Post Office, Town Hall, the Police Station, the WHS garden and some private gardens, as well - all of which are pesticide free. Click here to learn more.
Pollinate Wellesley is a joint initiative of Sustainable Wellesley, Wellesley Conservation Land Trust, and the NRC. When we protect our pollinators we protect ourselves!

Tell Your Legislator that Companies Should Have a Stake in Recycling Their Products - TODAY!

6/22/2021

 
Picture
FROM GREEN NEWTON:
​A hearing on three bills regarding manufacturer funded recycling programs will take place in the Massachusetts State Legislature from 1-5pm on June 22. Passing these bills on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for paint, mattresses, packaging, and paper would help defray the cost of disposing of or recycling these items that cities and towns in Massachusetts currently bear. It would also set a precedent in Massachusetts for a better way to manage the items that are thrown away each year. The three bills are:
  • Paint EPR H.938 – this bill is the most likely to get passed this session, it has support from the paint industry and 10 successful programs nationwide, including neighboring states of CT, RI, VT, and ME.
  • Mattress EPR S.569 – this bill would ensure that mattresses are recycled in Massachusetts.
  • Packaging & Paper Products EPR H.878/S.517/S.610 – this bill would reimburse municipalities for their recycling programs.
We need you to:
  • submit written testimony by midnight on June 22. You can use this template to support all three bills or you can simply write, “I’m in favor of each of the bills because they are beneficial to the environment.”  Send by 11:59pm on Tuesday, June 22 to JointCommittee.Environment@malegislature.gov.
  • contact your legislator and tell them you strongly support the three EPR bills because cities and towns should not have to bear all the cost of recycling products. You can find your state legislator here.

What is Extended Producer Responsibility?
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)  legislation makes manufacturers have a stake in recycling the products and packaging they generate.  An EPR bill would create a fund to cover the cost of recycling and incentivize companies to make their packaging more recyclable.
​
Why is EPR needed?
Municipalities have little power to control the barrage of materials flooding the Commonwealth but are responsible for managing recycling and disposal.
  • Recent fluctuations in the recycling market have drastically increased costs for municipalities, which now pay tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
  • A growing percentage of packaging waste is plastic – 40 percent of all plastic production is used for packaging. However, just 10 percent of all plastic produced is recycled. The rest is burned, buried in landfills, or lost in the environment, contributing to air and water pollution, the formation of microplastics, and a growing litter crisis in our oceans.
  • Companies that sell packaged products do not have an incentive to design packaging so that it can be recycled, or to use recycled content in their manufacture. While producers benefit from wrapping their products in disposable materials, local taxpayers are responsible for cleaning up litter and paying for trash and recycling, regardless of whether they purchased the products.
I’ve never heard of EPR–is this a new idea?
Extended Producer Responsibility has been tested and proven in countries all over the world.
  1. Successful product stewardship programs have transformed waste management in the EU, Canada, Israel, Brazil, Chile, India and Russia.
  2. California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island already have EPR legislation for the recycling of mattresses. 10 states nationwide have laws on recycling paint. Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York are joining together to call for the positive transformation that an EPR program would bring to not just Massachusetts, but the entire Northeast region.


Thursday 12-12.45- MA: Climate Action Call

6/14/2021

 
Picture
Join Mother's Out Front's second Climate Action Call to take quick and effective action in just 45 minutes! This month, we’ll be advocating for legislation to make clean heat, clean air, and healthy soils a reality across the Commonwealth.

This event is designed for everyone - from curious newcomers to long-time volunteers. We’ll give you everything you need to take action right on the call. No experience necessary to help move forward legislation designed to protect all Massachusetts communities from environmental pollution and climate change.

​REGISTER HERE

Wellesley Wins 2 Awards - Including WHS Students

5/28/2021

 
Picture
Know these folks?
Give them a big shout out!!

Congratulations to Wellesley High Schools' Climate Action Club members 
Vaani Kapoor, Kaitlin Braun, and Catherine Smith, who won the Community Engagement Award for their work on Solar Power and other initiatives from Project Green Schools' 2021 Green Difference Awards.

Also big congrats to Lisa Moore, Wellesley Natural Resources Commission's Environmental Education and Outreach Coordinator, on receiving a Project Green Schools' 2021 Green Difference Awards for Outdoor Learning and Education.

Thanks to Wellesley Green Schools for taking the time to nominate these outstanding individuals. Way to go, Wellesley!

    Categories

    All
    11th Hour
    2022
    350.org
    5 Minutes
    Action
    #ActioninWellesley
    Actions
    Add To Your Resume
    Air Quality
    Air Source Heat Pumps
    All Ages
    Apartment
    Appliances
    Attorney General
    Author
    Award
    Banks
    Beacon Hill
    Becca Rausch
    Bike
    Bikes
    Biking
    Bill McKibben
    Biodegradable
    Boards And Committees
    Book
    Book Club
    Book Group
    Books
    Borrow
    Boston
    Build
    Builders
    Building
    Buildings
    Bus
    Business
    Buy Nothing
    Cabell Eames
    Call
    Cancer Causing
    Candidate
    Candidates
    Car
    Car Free
    Cars
    Catalog
    Catch Connect
    Children
    Christmas Tree
    Clean
    Clean Energy
    Clean Heat
    Clean Up
    Climate Actin
    Climate Action
    Climate Action Committee
    Climate Action MA
    Climate Action Plan
    Climate Angst
    Climate Bill
    #climatechange
    Climate Distress
    CLimate Justice
    Climate Matters
    Clothing
    Coach
    Cold
    Comfort
    Commonwealth
    Community Service
    Commute
    Compost
    Conservation
    Conserve
    Conversation
    Cook
    Cooking
    Cooking Technology
    Cool
    Coping
    Corporate Responsibility
    Create
    Cynthia Creem
    Dana Hall
    Dave Becker
    Decarbonize
    Demonstration
    Dems
    Design
    Distress
    Donate
    Drive
    Drought
    Dryer
    Easier
    Easy
    Efficient
    Elect
    Election
    Electric
    Electric Appliances
    Electric Car
    Electric Experience
    Electricity
    Electricity V
    Electric Lawn Care
    Electric Vehicles
    Electrificatino
    Electrification
    Electrify
    Electronic Waste
    Energy
    Energy Assesment
    Energy Audit
    Energy Efficiency
    Energy Efficient
    Energy Price
    Energy Savings
    Energy Use
    Environment
    Environmental Justice
    Environmental Voters Projct
    Equitable
    EV
    Events
    Evolutions
    Experts
    Fall
    Family
    Farm Animals
    Fashion
    Fast Fashion
    Fathers Day
    Feel Good
    Fields
    Finance
    Food
    Food Pantry
    Food Waste
    Free
    Fridays For Future
    Fun
    Fund
    Future
    Garage Sale
    Garden
    Gardens
    Gas
    Gas Leak
    Get Involved
    Get Off Gas
    Get Together
    GHG
    Global Climate Strike
    Goals
    Go Green
    Grass
    Green Building
    Green Consumer Alliance
    Green Schools
    Grow Food
    Hardy School
    Health
    Healthy
    Healthy Family
    Heat
    Heater
    Heating And Cooling
    Heating System
    Heat Pump
    Heat Pumps
    Help Others
    High Efficiency
    High Performance
    Holiday
    Holiday Lights
    Holidays
    Home
    Homes
    Hope
    Hot Water
    House
    Hunnewell School
    HVAC
    Hybird
    Ideas
    Idle
    Idling
    Incentives
    Indiction
    Induction
    Inspiration
    Inspire
    Internship
    Investment
    July Jubilation
    Junk Mail
    Jupiter
    Kelsey Hudson PhD
    Kids
    Landscaping
    Lawn
    Lawn Care
    Lawn Mower
    Lawns
    Leadership
    Lead On Climate
    Leaf Blower
    Leaf Blowre
    League Of Women Voters
    LEED
    Legislation
    Legislators
    Library
    Lighting
    Light Plant
    Lights
    Lincoln
    Living Sustainably
    Lobby
    Local Government
    Local Politics
    Make Change
    Marathon
    Marine Pollution
    Masks
    Mass Climate Action
    Mass Save
    MCAN
    Meatless Monday
    Meet
    Meet Goals
    Meet New People
    Meet People
    Mindy Domb
    Mini
    MIT
    Mobility
    Mobility Plan
    Money
    Mopo
    Mother's Out Front
    Mower
    Municipal Light Plants
    Mustang
    Native
    Native Garden
    Native Plants
    Natural Resources
    Natural Resources Commission
    Nature
    Neighbor
    Net Zero
    New Construction
    New Year
    No Cost
    Noise
    Olin
    Opportunity
    Organize
    Parade
    Parenting
    Partner
    Party
    Passive Home
    Passive Homes
    Peabody
    Peak
    Pension
    Pets
    Pfas
    Pipe Lines
    Pizza
    Plants
    Polestar
    Police
    Politics
    Pollinate
    Pollution
    Pre Loved
    Pre School
    Psychologist
    Public Transit
    Questions?
    Quiet
    Rainwater
    RDF
    Reach Goa
    Reach Our Goals
    Read
    Realtors
    Rebate
    Rebates
    Recycle
    Recycling
    Recycling Facility
    Reduce Costs
    Register To Vote
    Renewable Energy
    Renovate
    Renovation
    Reslience
    Retro Fit
    Reuse
    Re-use
    Rev. Vernon K. Walker
    Rides
    Rummage Sale
    Run
    Run For Office
    Safety
    Save
    Save Energy
    Save Money
    Saving Us
    School
    Schools
    Science
    Scoot
    Sen Mike Barret
    Share
    Share Inputt
    Shop
    Show
    Smart Heating And Cooling
    Snow Blower
    Social And Family Event
    Solar
    State House
    Statewide
    Stay Warm
    St. John's School
    Stove
    Student
    Students
    Summer
    Supplies
    Support Climate Action
    Survey
    Take Action
    Talk
    Teachers
    Test Drive
    Thanks
    TikTok
    Tiny Home
    Tonight
    Town Goverment
    Town Government
    Town Hall
    Town Meeting
    Town Of Wellesley
    Town Politics
    Toxins
    Train
    Transit
    Translate
    Transportation
    Tree Planting
    Try
    TV
    Use Less
    Vehicles
    Virtual Event
    Volunteer
    Vote
    Vote Your Values
    Walk
    Washing Machine
    Waste
    Water
    Water Conservation
    Wayland
    WeCare
    WEF
    Wellesley
    Wellesley Free Library
    Wellesley Green Schools
    Wellesley High School
    Wellesley League Of Women Voters
    Wellesley Middle School
    Wellesley Police
    Wellesley Police Department
    Wellesley Public Schools
    Wellesley RDF
    Wellesley Students
    Wellesley Town Hall
    Wellesley Water
    Wellesley Wonderful Weekend
    Weston
    What's Is New
    Whs
    Winter
    WMS
    Work
    Wrap
    Write
    Yard Sale
    Year End Charitable Giving Wellesley
    You Are Invited
    #YouCanDoIt
    Your Talents
    Your Values
    Your Voice
    Your Voice Heard
    Zero Emissions

    RSS Feed

×

Sign up for updates!

Get Our Newsletter

Contact

info@sustainablewellesley.com
75 Emerson Road
Tel: 781-772-1188

Support us!

Volunteer
Donate

Follow us!

Copyright © 2019 By Sustainable Wellesley
Photos used under Creative Commons from Rennett Stowe, Fan.D & Dav.C Photgraphy, Ivan Radic, KOMUnews, focusonmore.com, Ivan Radic, shixart1985, vwcampin, shixart1985, Scrap Pile, garlandcannon, Ivan Radic, We Like Sharing, Ruth and Dave, Ivan Radic, REM Photo, Images_of_Money, Raed Mansour, comedy_nose, Ivan Radic, RLHyde, aqua.mech, dc_gardens
  • About
    • Our Mission and Who We Are
  • Take Action
    • Individual Action >
      • So Much You Can Do!
      • Run For Office
      • Buildings (Home/Office) >
        • Gas
      • Transportation
      • Food
      • Landscaping
      • Solar
      • Waste >
        • Gift Wrap
        • Reduce Plastic
    • Group Action >
      • Donate
      • Volunteer
    • IdleFree
    • More Action In Wellesley >
      • Other Local Organizations
      • Pollinate Wellesley >
        • Milkweed Sale
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Green Schools
    • Mission and Who We Are
    • Teachers >
      • Environmental Education
    • Green Team Representatives >
      • Smart Event Guide
      • Borrow Free Supplies for Your Event!
    • Families >
      • End of year Locker Cleanout Tips
      • School Supply list