Every day, we make choices about how to utilize our natural resources and protect the earth. From recycling and composting to exploring alternative energies and decreasing our reliance on cars, we are presented with choices.
At the JCC – an organization that serves approximately 20,000 members each year with almost 200,000 square feet of year-round facilities and 30 acres of seasonal facilities – we have been asking what we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. Over the past 2 years, a Change Team of JCC staff committed to decreasing waste and utilizing more sustainable approaches within our spaces has instituted real practices in the effort to “be green.” Here are just a few examples of researched and executed successes that have brought real change to drive the Green Team initiative:
-In spring of 2024 composting became a success in our Squirrel Hill building by adding composting bins to decrease the amount of waste in our trash. To date, we have composted 17,810 (?) lbs., which means what was trash that went into a landfill instead created new organic materials for farming and growing. From a greenhouse gas equivalency standpoint, our composting efforts are equivalent to 117 urban tree seedlings grown for 10 years. Our composting efforts are equivalent to not driving 17,667 miles!
-In fall of 2024 we worked with our vending machine vendors on removing all plastic bottles from their inventory.
-In April 2025 we added a dishwasher with reusable plates, cups and utensils in the Squirrel Hill Staff Lounge, removing the need to scavenge for disposable products.
-At the same time, our South Hills Early Childhood Department added a dishwasher and reusable plates and utensils for students’ daily use, eliminating an average 780 paper plates and plastic silverware items per day.
-In early 2025, we conducted an audit on trash bags used daily in Squirrel Hill. It was STAGGERING! Over 150 plastic liners were used each day. In May 2025, we launched “Kick the Can,”,an initiative for staff to empty their own trash into a larger trash bin to keep their liner in their can as long as possible and eliminate the use of so many liners.
This is just the beginning! The Green Team has more goals:
We are looking into more ways to increase composting at camps, Clubhouse, Early Childhood in Squirrel Hill, and South Hills programs.
We are looking into more recycling initiatives for paper and plastics in our facilities.
We are launching a Green campaign to include our membership pledging their commitment while at our facilities: To use our app instead of paper schedules, to use QR codes instead of printing paper, and so much more.
We dream of being able to run our facilities on more renewable energy and using our properties to contribute to greening efforts. Please dream with us!