Welcome to Devens A community striving for sustainability

Devens History Fort Devens served as Army's New England Headquarters for 79 years; closed ,000 jobs lost, Superfund site designation Land conveyed to MassDevelopment, a quasi-public economic development agency  4,400 acres  1,400 permanently protected

Devens Today 5.4 million sq. ft. developed 4,700 jobs created Approximately 80 businesses  70% small-medium sized (< 300 employees)  Mostly industrial – manufacturing, distribution

Ensuring Sustainable Growth “… achieving a balance of economic, social, and environmental needs, while maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base.” - Re-use Plan Reuse incentives, LEED certification fee-bate Low-impact development techniques Promotion of sustainable business practices

Devens - an Eco-Industrial Park “…a community of manufacturing and service businesses located together on a common property. Member businesses seek enhanced environmental, economic, and social performance through collaboration in managing environmental and resource issues. Eco-Industrial Park Handbook,

Devens Eco-Efficiency Center Provides services that help businesses and non-profit organizations gain economic and environmental efficiencies  EcoStar program  Educational workshops  Networking roundtables  Field trips  Technical assistance

Services Provided Transportation:  Rideshare program, delivery partners Energy:  Conservation campaigns, efficiency audits Waste:  Reduction strategies, recycling programs

The Great Exchange! Started as a one-time event, attendees shared materials with reuse potential or their wish list 6 months: ~200 tons of “waste” diverted and $64,000+ in operational costs avoided Now numerous weekly exchanges taking place Statewide participation

Waste Turns to Art Art paper Dipping cups CD canisters Foam disks Plastic jars, covers Half-gallon jugs 10-gallon pails Fabric scraps Styrofoam blocks First Wednesday of month = Treasure Day

Packed and Re-packed Collected for reuse annually:  2,000,000 elastics  250,000 foam packing sheets  5,000 3’ x 5’ plastic bags  3,500 “gallons” bubble wrap  1,000 cloth bags  500 small boxes  100 triple-ply gaylords  15 large bags of “peanuts”

A Good Mix One-time exchange of plastic bags led to weekly collection of  3’ x 5’ plastic bags  Used gaylords  Shrink wrap  5-gallon pails  Liquid dispensers  Product that can’t be sold  Mis-sized boxes MCI Shirley Prison

Future Programs EcoStar Exchange online Organics composting Promotion of Zero Waste

Thank You Dona Neely, Executive Director Devens Eco-Efficiency Center x3304