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Sustainability

Individual

Contact your local/state reps about green legislation

  • Find your Oklahoma lawmakers: Oklahoma State Legislature Website

  • Send an email, call, or write a letter! 
    Sample Language: "Hi, I'm NAME and I live in your district in zip code ZIP. I care very much about the environment and want our city/state/community to have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and places for all of us to connect with nature today and far into the future. I would ask that you use every opportunity to vote yes on legislation that supports a cleaner, greener environment. Thank you!"

Attend a Sustainability Social Hour

  • OKC Beautiful hosts Sustainability Social Hour on the second Wednesday of each month at a different location around Oklahoma City. 

    • Learn more about Sustainability Social Hour here.

    • Find the next Social Hour on our Calendar of Events here.

Participate in Meatless Monday

  • Meatless Monday is a global movement started in 2003 out of Johns Hopkins University. This grassroots campaign encourages the reduction of meat consumption for both health and environmental benefits. To learn more about the history of Meatless Monday, find how-to guides, recipes, and more, visit the Meatless Monday Resource Center here. 

  • Browse through some great meatless recipes from some of our local resources:​

  • OSU Extension Office

  • ​Find meatless dine-in and takeout options near you on Happy Cow’s vegetarian/vegan restaurant database here.

Mend or swap your clothes

  • Free or low-cost mending materials, arts supplies, and more can be found in local spots throughout Oklahoma City: 

Walk, bike, or take public transit

  • Check out the Week Without Driving website here for tips on navigating the city without a car! 

  • Find VisitOKC’s Getting Here & Getting Around guide here for an overview of OKC’s public transportation options.

  • Find the City of Oklahoma City’s Public Transportation and Parking page here. 

  • Find Embark OK’s How to Ride guide for Oklahoma City’s bus system here. 

  • Find the OKC Bycycle Society’ cycling maps here. 

Conduct a waste audit for 1 week
Subscribe to Your Utilities’ Wind/Solar Program

  • Around 850 utility companies across the United States have renewable energy programs that customers can opt into. This allows customers to power residential or commercial properties through renewable energy through utility-owned or third-party generators. 

    • For more information, read about Utility Green Power Products on the EPA’s website here. 

    • Discover your household’s energy footprint using the City of Edmond’s DIY Home Energy Audit here. 

    • Find OG&E’s renewable power programs here. 

    • Find DSIRE USA’s database of renewable energy policies and incentives in Oklahoma here. 

Attend a Grow OKC class

  • OKC Beautiful hosts free and low-cost community classes about various environmental topics every month. 

    • Learn more about Grow OKC classes here. 

    • Find the next Grow OKC class on our Calendar of Events here. 

Plan your Fall Garden

  • Summer is a great time to gear up for fall gardening! Check out the resources below to start working on your fall garden plans: 

    • The OSU County Extension provides several resources and fact sheets about gardening. Find information about vegetable gardens (here), general lawn care and gardening (here), flower gardens (here), and more. 

    • Container gardens are a great way to start a low-budget, scalable garden with limited planting space. Check out the OSU County Extension’s guide to container gardening in Oklahoma here. 

    • Need to know how much soil or mulch you’ll need? Find Lowe’s Mulch and Soil Calculator here.

Learn about a new green topic

  • Take a class, read a book or article, or watch a video about an environmental topic you’re interested in knowing more about!  

    • Read about how spending time in nature can benefit your mental health here. 

    • Find a list of books related to climate change and environmental science on Harvard’s Susan Wojcicki Library website here. 

  • Learn about water-wise landscaping by visiting one of Oklahoma City’s demonstration gardens! These can be found at: 

    • Myriad Botanical Gardens

    • OKC Zoo

    • Bluff Creek Park. 

  • Learn ways to promote environmental education through the City of Oklahoma City’s Department of Environmental Quality! Find DEQ’s environmental education resources here. 

Compost your fruit and veggie scraps

  • Find the Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association’s list of composting resources here. 

  • Read the Oklahoma County Extension Office’s backyard composting fact sheet here. 

Visit a school or community garden

Community gardens allow neighborhoods and communities to transform underutilized plots of land into beautiful greenspaces for growing food and fostering connection between neighbors. There are several gardens throughout the Oklahoma City metro area! Go pay one of them a visit: 

Donate books to a secondhand store​

  • Books can be donated at several bookstores across the Oklahoma metro, including: 

    • Bookish

      • Warehouse - 1244 NW 4th St., Suite 300

      • Storefront - 1005 NW 36th St. (only during business hours)

    • Half Price Books

      • Northwest OKC location: 6500 N. May Ave.

      • South OKC location: 1449 W I-240 Service Rd. 

    • Metropolitan Library System - Donate used books to the Friends of the Metro Library’s annual book sale. 

Host a garage sale

Declutter your space in an environmentally conscious way by holding a garage sale! You can host one alone or team up with friends, family, or neighbors to give your retired items a new life. 

  • Learn more about hosting a garage sale in Oklahoma City or apply for an Oklahoma City garage sale permit here. 

  • View OKC Mom’s Garage Sale Guide here. 

  • Outside of Oklahoma City limits? Be sure to check out your city’s garage sale regulations!

Complete a Volunteer LitterBlitz Event

  • When it comes to litter, every little bit helps! Help tackle litter by joining OKC Beautiful’s LitterBlitz program.

Identify invasive plant species near you

  • Download the iNaturalist app here to identify plant and wildlife species with your phone camera! 

  • Learn about plant identification with a guided nature walk at Martin Park Nature Center!  View the event calendar here.

Business

Conduct a Waste Audit

  • How much trash does your workplace generate? Get a better look at your waste footprint through a waste audit! 

    • Check out the EPA’s guide to facility waste assessments here. 

    • Find Northern Illinois University’s guide to conducting an office waste audit here.

Compost your Coffee Grounds

  • Test out your compost skills by starting small! Coffee grounds are easy to collect and store, and are a great organic material that can be diverted from landfills with just a few steps. Grab a bucket or countertop bin and some compostable bags to start your business’s composting journey! 

  • Where to compost: 

    • Drop-Off Options: Fertile Ground offers 17 community compost drop-off sites throughout the Oklahoma City metro area! Learn more about community composting and find a list of all drop-off locations here. 

    • Tip: Try replacing single-use coffee pods with a compostable, reusable option! Reusable single-serve coffee capsules and paper filters allow you to skip the plastic waste and make composting easier. 

Host a Paper-Free Meeting

  • Minimize your paper usage by transitioning to paper-free meetings! Print materials can be kept to a minimum or avoided altogether by following a few tips:

    • Send out meeting minutes or agenda points digitally prior to the meeting. 

    • Use a screen or projector to display presentation materials rather than printing them out for each attendee. If printing is unavoidable, elect to print a few copies for attendees to pass around instead of one copy for each person. 

    • Encourage digital note-taking. If it’s available to your team, meetings with a video conferencing option can be recorded and shared for review. 

    • Incorporate digital workspaces and tools into your workflow! 

  • View NYU Sustainability’s tips to paper-free meetings here. 

  • Find Indeed’s Benefits of a Paperless Office article and paper-free tips here.

Reduce Your Signle-use Plastic Waste

  • Single-use plastics make up nearly 20% of landfills across the nation. Reduce the amount of plastic your workplace uses by switching to plastic-free or reusable options!

    • Replace single-use plastic water bottles with a water refill station and washable glassware. Add a drinking water filter to your office kitchen, or invest in a water dispenser!

    • Replace plastic plates and cutlery with paper. If your workplace uses disposable dining items, choose paper plates and cups over plastic! These are known to biodegrade much faster than plasticware, reducing landfill volume over time. Better yet - choose a BPI certified paper or plant-based product for a compostable option! 

    • Encourage a waste-free lunch day. Choose a day to promote waste-free lunches in the workplace! Learn more about waste-free lunches on the EPA website here. 

Add Oklahoma Native Plants to Your Landscaping

  • Native plants are hugely beneficial for urban landscapes! Not only do they add tons of beauty to our green spaces, but they also help cultivate healthy soil, support native wildlife, and require less maintenance than non-native ornamental plants. Swap out a couple of your outdoor plants to Oklahoma native plants to start building a healthier, happier ecosystem outside your door! 

    • Find Homegrown National park’s guide to designing a native plant landscape here on their website. 

    • Not sure where to shop for Oklahoma native plants? Find the Oklahoma Native Plants Network’s Native Plant and Seed Sources list here.

Organize a Staff Volunteer LitterBlitz Event

  • When it comes to litter, every little bit helps! Join a community litter clean up event, or organize your own through OKC Beautiful’s LitterBlitz program.

Participate in Ozone Action Days

  • Combat high ozone levels by participating in Ozone Action Days! Sign up for ozone alerts, and on high ozone days, encourage actions that reduce air pollution like carpooling, reducing electricity usage, and waiting to refuel your vehicle until after 6 PM. 

    • Learn more about Central Oklahoma’s air quality alerts on the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments website here. 

    • Learn more about Ozone Action Days here. 

    • Find the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality’s Air Quality Index forecast here. 

Read OKC Beautiful's Green Business Guide

  • OKC Beautiful’s Green Business Guide is a free, introductory resource for businesses and organizations interested in practicing more sustainable habits. Find the guide on the OKC Beautiful website here.

Conduct a Water Audit

  • Does your business have outdoor sprinklers or a watering system? Learn how to conduct an irrigation audit on the Oklahoma County Extension’s website here! 

  • For restaurants: Show your care for water conservation by becoming an H2Outstanding Restaurant! The City of Oklahoma City’s Squeeze Every Drop program offers a free pre-rinse spray valve and more to participating restaurants. Learn more on the program page here. 

Go for a Lunchtime Walk

  • Going outside and experiencing the outdoors is a great way to both connect with nature and get your body moving! Conserve energy in your office by encouraging staff to turn off electronics and lights and spend time outside for lunch. 

    • Take a look around your workplace. If possible, make a list of lunch spots that are within walking distance from your workplace and share it with your team. 

    • Organize a lunchtime walking group! Choose a time and day to walk to lunch together, or go for a group walk around the block post-lunch. 

    • Read a journal from the National Library of Medicine about the perks of lunchtime walks outdoors here. 

Reassess your energy usage

  • For more ways to conserve energy in your business, find the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office Energy Checklist here. 

  • Standby power contributes to 5-10% of energy costs. Use outlet timers, switchable power strips, or reminders to unplug on idling electronics and reduce overall energy consumption! Learn more about standby power on the Berkeley Lab website here. 

Hold a Recycling Drive for your Staff or Customers

  • Help reduce landfill waste by holding a recycling drive! Encourage your workplace to bring hard-to-recycle items (electronics, clothing, paint, etc.) to you instead of sending them to the landfill. 

    • AfterTech Computer Recycling helps businesses hold e-waste recycling drives! Find more information about e-waste pick ups, visit their website here.

    •  The City of Oklahoma City’s household Hazardous Waste Collection Center accepts hard-to-dispose of items. Contact the facility for more information about what is accepted. 

Enroll in a Recycling or Composting Program

  • Curbside Composting: Check out Fertile Ground’s curbside commercial composting options here. 

  • For more local composting resources, visit the Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association’s resources page here or the Oklahoma Recycling Association’s Composting page here. 

Host a Swap Event

  • Skip the landfill and hold a summer swap event for your staff! Swaps are a great way to get rid of unused items and give them a new life with someone else. 

    • Pick a theme. Choose a category of items that your group is interested in swapping. Clothing, garden supplies, plants, and artwork are all great options for a swap. 

    • Have a drop-off period before the swap event. Allowing participants to bring items before the swap will give the host time to organize and set up all of the items for the swap event. 

    • Come up with a donation plan. Call around to nonprofits and secondhand stores in your area to find places to drop off any leftover items. 

  • Check out the City of Tacoma’s guide to hosting swap events here. 

Support OKC Beautiful's environmental programming

  • OKC Beautiful depends on community support! Be a part of OKC Beautiful’s mission by volunteering, donating, or sponsoring one of our environmental programs. 

    • Find OKC Beautiful classes and volunteer opportunities on our calendar of events here. 

    • Submit a donation to OKC Beautiful here. 

    • Learn more about program sponsorships on our Giving Guide here. 

Hold a Lunch & Learn for Staff About a Green Topic

  • Bring the education to your staff by hosting a Lunch & Learn! Many local resources are happy to talk to groups about different educational topics. 

  • Reach out to Lauren Nixon (lauren@okcbeautiful.com) for more information about OKC Beautiful’s speaker availability. 

  • Request a speaker from the City of Oklahoma City’s Squeeze Every Drop program to discuss water conservation here. 

  • Learn more about the Lynn Institute’s Foundation of Wellness lunch and learn series here. 

  • Have a topic in mind? Reach out to local nonprofit organizations or educational institutions that align with your group’s interests to find a Lunch & Learn speaker!

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