Due to a glitch in data provided by utilities, New York City has pushed back the deadline for LL84 (2009) benchmarking data filing for 2017 from May 1 to December 31, 2018. LL84 (2009) requires large building over 50,000 square feet to…  Continue Reading...

Congratulations to Great Forest President Richard Fuller on being awarded the prestigious  Order of Australia Medal for his service to conservation and the environment. It is a well-deserved recognition for his work with Pure Earth, the nonprofit he founded, the…  Continue Reading...

June 2018 ENERGY STAR will be re-calculating almost all commercial building scores this summer, which will impact your properties’ standing.  All the changes in source data will result in lower scores generally across the US. ALL scores will adjust as of August…  Continue Reading...

Late last year, we received an email from one of our hotel clients that began: “FYI. The DSNY were here today.” Since the expansion of regulations covering commercial recycling and organics, the DSNY has been stepping up checks on hotels…  Continue Reading...

“Businesses that respond appropriately can lead the way before they are forced to comply with bans and regulations. This is not only good for the environment, it is also good for business.” As reported in the New York Times, the…  Continue Reading...

While New York mulls a ban on single-use plastic bags, San Francisco just took another step forward.  Now in the West Coast city, which already has a bag ban in place, it is possible to recycle plastic bags and other clean,…  Continue Reading...

Diversion initiatives such as recycling and composting mandates are popping up across the country as more and more local governments start to realize the value of zero waste. This is just the beginning. Once cities begin to ramp up their zero…  Continue Reading...

The future of office waste management is here, and it is simpler than you think. This white paper shows how you can optimize your waste and recycling program, and achieve multiple benefits, with one simple change — switching to a centralized…  Continue Reading...

The Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Climate Corps is a terrific program that places trained fellows on staff at businesses over the summer to help jump start clean energy projects. Great Forest worked with EDF fellows on two projects last year with…  Continue Reading...

Did you know a portion of Great Forest’s profits support cleanup work in some of the world’s worst polluted places?  We do this through the nonprofit Pure Earth, founded by Great Forest President Richard Fuller. And this year we joined…  Continue Reading...

Did you know Americans throw out 25% more waste during the holidays? Think of all the packaging, gift wrap, food and more that end up in our waste bins. The Ohio EPA has some great infographics and tips on how to…  Continue Reading...

How do you increase recycling and lower costs? By making recycling simple and convenient… at least that is the idea behind single-stream recycling’s popularity.  But the reality is more complicated. The number of communities and cities using single-stream recycling has reportedly increased from 20 to…  Continue Reading...

First published Nov. 2017.   After a year of collaboration among architects and New York waste professionals (including Great Forest), AIANY/Center for Architecture has launched their Zero Waste Design Guidelines to encourage building design that facilitates recycling and waste diversion.…  Continue Reading...

If you live and work in this world, this open letter is addressed to YOU.  The open letter–It is time to put pollution on the map–is an urgent plea from Richard Fuller, President of the nonprofit Pure Earth (and Great Forest), and Dr. Philip Landrigran,…  Continue Reading...

Great Forest President Richard Fuller, in his capacity as President of the nonprofit Pure Earth, joined former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, former President of Mexico Carlos Salinas, and other leaders and experts on October 23 for the launch of The Lancet Commission…  Continue Reading...

  Last month, Washington, D.C. became the first city in the world to receive a LEED for Cities Platinum leadership certification, the highest award bestowed upon cities by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). D.C. has 120 LEED-certified projects, with…  Continue Reading...

The cost of waste removal has been on the rise over the past decade, and the trend seems to be continuing upward. One study predicts waste disposal services to increase at an “annualized rate of 2%.”  Not only are waste costs increasing,…  Continue Reading...

We’re glad to announce the return of the HANYC Sustainability Awards with a new venue and date. This year, winners of the fourth annual HANYC Sustainability Awards will be announced and celebrated on Monday, April 23, 2018 at the Second Annual…  Continue Reading...

Using comprehensive waste audits, Great Forest recently helped a global consumer products brand uncover a breakdown in their waste and recycling program that kept its operation from running at optimum level. Our investigation also revealed a sizable revenue stream they…  Continue Reading...

REBNY (Real Estate Board of New York) President John Banks recently reached out to the industry about New York City’s updated commercial waste and recycling laws, which began enforcement on August 1, 2017. As the city with the biggest concentration…  Continue Reading...

Attention all NYC businesses. The warning period is over. Commercial waste and recycling law enforcement is underway. Are you ready? What should you do to be in compliance and avoid fines? Read our  Q&A On New Waste And Recycling Rules – What…  Continue Reading...

Great Forest attended the Waste Expo in New Orleans in May to discuss trends with industry experts and get a peek into new innovations in the field. The event drew over 12,000 participants and 620 exhibitors. Here is our quick…  Continue Reading...

This could be the summer of reckoning. Americans just learned that the U.S. is turning its back on the Paris Agreement. With that at the back of our minds, Great Forest team members from across the country gathered recently in Pennsylvania to…  Continue Reading...

We are thrilled to receive the Daylight Hour 2017 “Gear Head” award for best monitoring and analysis, as documented in our case study, which is also featured at the Building Energy Exchange. Thanks to the creative folks behind the annual Daylight…  Continue Reading...

The music will go on, at least for two baby grand pianos past their prime. The instruments came from the Grand Ballroom of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Rather than disposing of the old pianos, the hotel worked with Great…  Continue Reading...

Read the press release See the case study for details After a successful pilot, Great Forest launched an innovative program in the Mid-Atlantic region to take waste management to the next level. Now we are proud to reveal the results. Working with…  Continue Reading...

Great Forest founder Richard Fuller’s nonprofit Pure Earth has partnered with supermodel Molly Bair and over 20 leading jewelry designers to curate a special collection of jewelry crafted using recycled, Fairtrade, or mercury-free gold for auction.   “Consumers have probably…  Continue Reading...

Accurate metrics is key to a successful waste and recycling program.  It helps you evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts, and determine if changes are needed. The numbers also inform your overall sustainability reporting and affect your goals. But what…  Continue Reading...

With regulations targeting organics on the rise nationwide, a new online resource backed by the USDA, EPA, and other partners, aims to gather relevant material together in one place to make it easier for businesses and organizations looking for information and…  Continue Reading...

In NYC, inspectors are currently out in force issuing fines for non-compliance of the city’s new organics law, and gearing up to enforce updated waste and recycling rules in a few months. NYC hotels seem to be bearing the brunt of…  Continue Reading...

ORGANICS  New rules began enforcement Jan. 2017. Fines are being issued now. The new business organics rule applies to hotels and businesses with food and beverage operations. Law includes hotels over 150 rooms with any size back-of-house food preparation and delivered…  Continue Reading...

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CONGRATULATIONS ON ANOTHER GREAT YEAR 2016 has been such an eventful year. What did we all accomplish together? Below is a short list of highlights. Happy holidays from the entire Great Forest team. The EPA incorporated Great Forest’s volume to weight (VTW)…  Continue Reading...