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Four ways Tulsans are promoting sustainable living in the ...
Home
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As in C/2 Designs, a small Tulsa-based material design and manufacturing company that strives to build unique, functional and eco-friendly home furnishings. Jack Sampson, owner of C/2 Designs, says he can take worn out, traditional furnishings and, with a few modifications, turn them into contemporary, functional pieces that look brand new. He can even turn an old diving board into a media table. Sampson buys/finds his supplies locally as often as possible. You can see a sample of his work at Elote Café & Catering, where he built the check-out counter using old oak pallets and used spoons for the handles. (Note: C/2 Designs’ Web site was built by a client who traded her Web design talents for a remodeled table. Talk about a perfect example of sustainable living. Buy, sell, trade locally.)
Neighborhood
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Number of solar-powered streetlights recently installed in Brady Heights Neighborhood funded through the city’s 2025 Vision Fund Neighborhood Grants. Michelle Barnett, the Brady Heights resident who was in charge of writing the grant, says, “Sustainable living is a very big thing for the neighborhood.” The neighborhood association strives to give people tools, opportunities and examples of sustainable practices for the home. One example is a community garden. Read the Brady Heights blog for more information on how the neighborhood is going green together.
Community
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Every dollar you invest in a local company, such as Topeca Coffee, becomes $15 for Tulsa, says Corey Williams, executive director of Sustainable Tulsa. “If you invest in companies that are really outside of Tulsa, chains and things like that, $4 goes to Tulsa and the rest leaves,” she says. One way to support sustainable living is to buy from local small businesses, which also helps to stabilize a community. Topeca is not only a local family-owned company, but the owners also promote environmental responsibility. For a list of more than 700 other area businesses and agencies that promote green practices, check out the 2010 Tulsa Area Green Directory.
Office/business
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Number of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-accredited professionals at Scott&Goble Architects, a retail architectural design firm in Tulsa committed to sustainability. The company works with clients to design and build more energy-efficient buildings with reduced environmental impact. Scott&Goble employees don’t just preach sustainability; they live it, having incorporated green practices into their downtown office at Boulder Towers. Their fifth-floor suite features recycled rubber flooring and energy-efficient lighting and they practice sustainable purchasing, buying recycled office equipment and supplies. They even took the lead and started a recycling program for the entire 15-story building using Show Inc., based in Sapulpa.
Final thought: Recycling your trash= jobs for the community
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Average pounds of garbage per household set out for collection each week, according to a study conducted by the Tulsa Authority for Recovery of Energy (TARE). Mary Dotson and Susan Bell, residents at Yorktown Condominium, started a recycling program in their building to help reduce the amount of trash going to landfills. Residents put their recyclables, including newspapers, magazines, plastics, glass and aluminum cans, on the service elevator once a week and Show Inc. picks them up. Learn more about Show Inc., which provides jobs and services for citizens with developmental disabilities, and how it is helping the Tulsa area go green at www.showinc.org.
