SMECO Awarded for Environmental Sustainability

This isn’t the first time the  Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative has been recognized for smart, environmentally sensitive, and sustainable business practices.

SMECO recently received the award for EcoLeadership from the Alliance for Workplace Excellence. A comprehensive and rigorous assessment process led by an independent review panel of business professionals and graduate students combs through the nominees. SMECO demonstrated a commitment to environmental sustainability in the following categories: Leadership, Waste Minimization, Energy Supply and Demand, Water Conservation, Toxic Substance and Pollution Prevention, Transportation, Measurement, Building Operations, and Engagement and Communications.

The first AWE EcoLeadership Award was presented in 2008 to recognize eco-friendly practices in the workplace. Applicants are evaluated on the level and quality of their environmentally sustainable workplaces. Eco-friendly policies and practices attract talent, increase productivity, reduce costs, improve employee morale and loyalty, and project a strong public image.

Some practices that SMECO incorporates into its workplace include:

• Making personnel responsible for green initiatives.
• Recycling cans, bottles, paper, printer cartridges, fluorescent lighting, cell phones, and furniture, and purchasing recycled products.
• Donating or recycling computers.
• Publishing electronically and discouraging printing.
• Setting computers and electronics to sleep when inactive and use ENERGY STAR-labeled office equipment and appliances.
• Using energy efficient lighting, occupancy sensors, natural light, and task lighting and employing solar energy for electrical power.
• Using water efficient, low-flow devices.
• Conserving water through low-maintenance landscaping and permeable surfaces for parking areas.
• Promoting biking, teleworking, flex time, and compressed work schedules.
• Providing an on-site fitness center and physical fitness programs.

Austin J. Slater Jr., SMECO president and CEO, said, “We are grateful to receive this award in recognition of SMECO’s green initiatives. Our responsibilities to our employees and our community reach beyond the confines of our offices and impact more than the local environment. And, our members appreciate the thoughtful application of sustainability principles: making green choices when possible and when cost-effective.” Slater added, “The Alliance for Workplace Excellence provides a standard by which to measure progress, and we appreciate their commitment to improving the workplace.”

The Alliance for Workplace Excellence is a non-profit organization founded in 1999 by Montgomery County and Discovery Communications. Over the past 16 years, AWE has been dedicated to empowering employers to build excellence in the workplace as a means of supporting the quality of life for employees, their families, and the community at large.