green business
morrow Plastic Is Drowning the Planet—Ocean Friendly plants, using Establishments Are Here to Save It less chemical yward
repellents, and That is Shelby Diehl food frustra- byproviding forPlastic you and is drowning the planet and this your family and of the ignorance of coris, in part, because e you neighbors. porations and their contracted businesses y you neglecting the need to reduce their waste. d with Enter Ocean Friendly Establishments (OFE), at a community-based certification that gives ad that reduce plasticyou anda way Foodscaping not their only offers e—such businesses practice sustainable options the recognito reduce the transport cost of food, it also ving tion they deserve. provides you with an easy way to teach very children about gardening. We,inas2015 a society, wer The initiative was launched reachedwith a point where gardening t the in have partnership OFE’s parent orga- is no longer a task that Project. is passed down ow nization, Plastic Ocean The firstfrom generation to generation. Most children certified establishment was the Blockade do notinknow where their food comes Wrightsville Beach, North cality Runner from. Actually, most college students Carolina, and the program has since ex- do t the not know where their food comes from. d Nor do they know the first thing about deal planting. If edible plants are integrated nt and into areas where children and others foothave readily available access—like public ugula, parks, schools, churches, government plant way and buildings—it would be very hard for the next generation not to soak up a little bit ntrol of knowledge about growing their own se food. But this will only become a reality if e your we as the general gardening public make only foodscaping a social norm. also
panded across the country. The non-profit has racked up over 200 ocean-friendly certified businesses from the east to west coasts, with over 100 of these in the Cape Fear Region alone, and ongoing efforts to establish OFEs in Alaska. Ocean Friendly Establishments was founded based on concerns about the immense amount of plastic polluting photo © [Stéphane Bidouze] Adobe Stock the Earth. This is a selfThis lake is covered with plastic bottles. regulated initiative, and businesses are encouraged to ensure all Cate Arnold, the Community Outreach employees are educated about and adher- Committee Chair for the University of ing to the initiative. In an effort to reduce North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Plastic plastic pollution nationwide, the owners Ocean Project Chapter. “We understand and managers of certified OFEs agree to that sustainability can be implemented reduce plastic waste in their businesses by at all different levels and in various ways, only serving straws upon request. so this star system helps us be inclusive and serves as motivation to be more Straws are just the start. Restaurants ocean-friendly.” and businesses that practice additional
eco-conscious practices can earn up to five stars based on how many actions they’re taking. These actions may include vegan or vegetarian menu options, bathrooms with es, and Learn more about Brie Arthur at www. air dryers, no styrofoam, and non-plastic briegrows.com. her and/or biodegradable bags, silverware, Shannon Bradburn is a senior at UNCW who food and beverage containers. For one star, loves to hike, study plants, and play outside. two to three criteria must be met whereas photo by Karly Lohan for five stars, 10+ criteria must be met. We welcome guest contributors. LalaWrite & Elmfor owners Erica, Alexis and Claire stand our contributor guidelines. “The star rating has been a great inside their business holding their Ocean Friendly editor@ goinggreenpublications.com. system in our OFE certifications,” says Establishments certificate.
cture
-o.net
Greenspots North Carolina
Native Plant Society
Come for a nature walk www.ncwildflower.org Southeast Coast Chapter
www.issuu.com/capefearsgoinggreen
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