Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sustainability topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Greenwich Sustainability Committee reports progress on waste, pollinators and climate planning
Summary
The Board of Selectmen heard the Greenwich Sustainability Committee’s 2025 annual report, which highlights a new climate action plan, a Quiet Yards ordinance, a voluntary curbside food-scrap program that diverted about 300 tons of organics, pollinator plantings and community engagement projects.
The Board of Selectmen on April 24 heard the Greenwich Sustainability Committee’s 2025 annual report, delivered by committee representative Myra, who presented initiative-level results across eight sectors including waste reduction, land and water stewardship and business outreach.
The report said the town’s voluntary food-scrap recycling program diverted over 300 tons (about 600,000 pounds) of organic waste from the trash stream and that the town achieved Sustainable CT silver certification. The committee also reported more than 250 community garden plots, 12 beehives, 600 pounds of donated produce last summer and a pollinator pathway project that planted over 200 native plants around the Cos Cob Firehouse Park riparian corridor.
"The report showcases the strides we are making toward a more sustainable community, one that accords with our guiding principles and a new vision narrative," Myra said. She described new outreach work including a bimonthly newsletter, a recurring WGCH radio segment, and multiple public events and internships that engaged youth on gardening and invasive-species removal.
The presentation flagged local policy and planning progress. The committee said Greenwich secured a Quiet Yards ordinance to restrict gas-powered leaf blowers, noted recognition as a climate leader, and reported coordination with the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s planning and environment linkages study for I-95 corridor improvements. The Sustainability Committee also said it had partnered with the conservation commission to develop a climate action plan the board previously approved.
Board members praised volunteer contributions and the numbers cited in the report. First Selectman Fred Camillo said the waste-reduction figures were “terrific,” noting the food-scrap program grew from nothing six years ago. Selectwoman Lauren Raven and Selectperson Janet Stone McWiggan thanked volunteers and staff, and the board acknowledged Department of Environmental Affairs leadership and the committee’s co-chairs.
The committee asked for continued town partnership as it moves from planning to implementation on climate resiliency and transportation safety recommendations. Myra closed by thanking the board and offering to answer questions.
The board took no formal vote on the report; it was received for the record.
Members of the public can review the committee’s full 2025 report and the committee newsletter through the town’s sustainability or conservation commission web pages, the presentation said.
