(Washington, DC) — The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) recognizes Earth Week 2009 with programs that promote and teach about sustainable practices for the District’s small business community.
This week, on Earth Day – Wednesday, April 22 – DSLBD will host the free “Greening DC Restaurants Workshop for Business Owners,” an event open to DC restaurant owners. The 3-hour, in-depth workshop will explore the benefits of greening restaurant operations, specific and simple steps for greening, and how to create an action plan that fits within a business’ budget.
This workshop is part of the Greening DC Restaurants pilot project, through which DSLBD and GreenHOME offer free technical assistance to DC restaurants. The program teaches District restaurant owners how to implement both short- and long-term changes that can significantly impact their bottom line, reduce a business’ ecological footprint, and improve the dining and working environment for customers and workers. To participate in the workshop, please contact Camille Nixon: (202) 727-3900 or camille.nixon@dc.gov.
In addition to Greening DC Restaurants, DSLBD also is promoting commercial revitalization and business retention through its management of Clean Team services in the following neighborhoods: Adams Morgan, Anacostia, Barracks Row, Dupont Circle, H Street (NE), Mt. Vernon Triangle, Shaw, Georgia Avenue, and Kennedy Avenue. Using environmentally-friendly materials, teams of street cleaners in these areas remove litter, graffiti, stickers, posters, and illegal signage, and they also care for tree boxes.
The ultimate goal of Clean Team services is to provide visible results—specifically cleaner streets, sidewalks, and storefronts in neighborhood business districts in order to stimulate economic development by attracting more pedestrians customers and creating further incentive to locate retail in neighborhoods. These services have made quite an impact on city streets—since August, when several of the programs were initiated, more than 50,000 bags of trash, 1,000 pieces of graffiti, 2,500 posters, and 1,200 stickers have been collected; and 2,000 tree boxes have been landscaped.
“Our Clean Team services are doing tremendous work by helping to create more prosperous, vibrant, and safe commercial corridors. Business owners and customers alike have expressed their appreciation for these services,” said Lee Smith, Director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development.
To find out more about DSLBD’s “green” agenda or any of the agency’s many programs and services, please visit dslbd.dc.gov or contact Sara Gebhardt at sara.gebhardt@dc.gov.