Government > City Departments/Offices > Neighborhood/Environmental > Sustainable Annapolis > What can YOU do

Participate in the Buy Local Challenge

Go to www.buy-local-challenge.com to make a pledge to eat at least one thing from a local farm every day during Buy Local Week. To help you out, local restaurants can participate in the Sustainable Annapolis Green Plate Special. Look for this logo next to menu items. In order to use the logo, over 50% of a menu item’s main ingredients must be locally sourced within 300 miles, and the description of the dish must tell people the source of the ingredients. It is recommended that any meats, eggs, or dairy used in the dish also be humanely treated, naturally raised, grass fed, and pastured. Download a higher resolution of the image here.

Green Plate Special Flyer

Informational flyer on the meat recommendations

Certify your business or household as an Environmental Steward

Certify your business or household as an Environmental Steward of the City of Annapolis. This is a free certification offered by the City. Staff will offer free assistance to interested businesses. Currently the program extends to households, restaurants, lodging, retail stores, office buildings, schools and places of worship, and automotive establishments. Take the pledge today to become a certified Annapolis Environmental Steward!

Patronize local businesses certified as Environmental Stewards

Get a full list here.

Measure your carbon footprint

Your personal or household carbon footprint is the measure of the amount of carbon dioxide that is released in to the atmosphere as you carry on your daily routine.

List of small things that you can do as a homeowner to reduce your carbon footprint:

1. Use reusable bags when purchasing groceries or going shopping.
2. Take your old plastic shopping bags to your local grocery store. Most grocery stores will accept plastic bags and have recycling bins inside the store.
3. Carpool, bike, walk, or use public transit to get to work.
4. Fill up your gas tank, lawn mower, or other gas-powered machine after 7 pm.
5. Try to run errands in one trip – your car gives off 5 times the emissions from starting after an hour of non-use because the engine is no longer “warm.”
6. Volunteer for community clean-ups and plantings.
7. Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs – they will last longer and can reduce household energy bills. Dispose properly after use!
8. Make a conscious effort to turn off lights and appliances in rooms that are not occupied.
9. Recycle old, used batteries.
10. Recycle belongings that you no longer use and in good condition by joining the Annapolis Freecycle group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/annapolis_freecycle/
11. Unplug electronics such as the television or the computer when not in use.
    • Buy “current cutters” which are outlet switches that cut off electric currents from appliances without the hassle of unplugging and plugging between uses.
    • Power Strips are also handy for multiple electronic devices.
12. Think about recycling and encouraging others to do so.
13. Recycle or re-use old tires – use for tire swings, cut to use as garden flower beds, and they make great boat bumpers!
14. Heat or cool only rooms that are being used by closing vents and doors to unoccupied rooms.
15. Set thermostats down when sleeping and off when the home is not in use.
16. Purchase locally grown produce and in-season produce.
    • Annapolis FRESHFARM Market (New Market)
      Annapolis: Donner Parking Lot - Compromise Street
      Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to Noon June 1 - October 5
      Contact: Janna Howley 202-362-8889
      WIC and Senior FMNP Checks Accepted
    • Anne Arundel County Farmers' Market
      Annapolis: Riva Road & Harry S. Truman Parkway
      Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to Noon April 5 - December 20
      Tuesday: 7:00 a.m. to Noon June 10 - October 28
      Contact: Brenda Conti 410-349-0317
      WIC and Senior FMNP Checks Accepted
17. Only wash full loads of laundry and dishes.
    • For those who insist on rinsing dishes before the dishwasher, wash in a basin of cold water instead of hot running water.
18. Line-dry clothes when possible.
19. Use latex or water-based paints instead of oil-based paints and solvents.

List of investments that can reduce the cost of energy and water bills as well as reducing your carbon footprint:

1. If buying new household appliances, purchase those with Energy Star standards.
2. Try to situate your refrigerator away from your oven, as the fridge could use up twice as much energy when the oven is in use.
3. Solar Power – install roof panels and water heaters that use the sun as a source of energy.
4. Improve insulation, especially in the roof.
5. Collect kitchen and table scraps for composting.
6. Purchasing a dual-flush or a 1.6 gallon flush toilet.
7. Install a rain barrel regimen in your garden to reduce rainwater runoff from your roof. Check out this beautiful idea that will also attract Maryland’s most attractive insects and birds!
   • http://www.cbf.org
   • http://www.dnr.state.md.us/ed/rainbarrel.html
   • http://www.arlingtonecho.net/Restoration-Projects/Rain-Barrels.html
8. Grow a rain garden using native grasses and other herbaceous plants to reduce stormwater runoff naturally! Call our resident Rain Garden specialist at 410-263-7949. Rain gardens prevent stagnant water and reduce the chances for a mosquito breeding ground in your backyard. http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/
9. Change your old woodstove (purchased before July 1, 1992) for a more efficient gas, electric, pellet or fireplace insert, or cleaner-burning wood appliance approved by the EPA. Older woodstoves are not effective in heating your home and produce small particles that contain pollutants which can hurt your family and the environment.
10. Trade your gas mower in for an electric or push mower that mulches.

For boaters in the areas, here are some ways to prevent polluting the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (taken from EPA.gov):

1. Limit engine operation at full throttle.
2. Eliminate unnecessary idling.
3. Avoid spilling gasoline.
4. Use a gasoline container you can handle easily and hold securely.
5. Pour slowly and smoothly.
6. Use a funnel or a spout with an automatic stop device to prevent overfilling the gas tank.
7. Close the vent on portable gas tanks when the engine is not in use or when the tank is stored.
8. Transport and store gasoline out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry place.
9. Use caution when pumping gasoline into a container at the gas station.
10. Carefully measure the proper amounts of gasoline and oil when refueling.
11. Follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule.
12. Prepare engines properly for winter storage.
13. Buy new, cleaner marine engines.