actions
Current Actions
Sustainable Sudbury and the town have joined plugIN: plugIN is a free service to help/guide residents to create healthier homes and communities by electrifying to reduce fossil fuel pollution. Collaborators include MassEnergize, the Towns of Acton, Ashland, Natick, Sudbury, Wayland & Westborough & the City of Framingham and Energize Acton, Energize Ashland, Energize Framingham, EcoNatick, Sustainable Sudbury, Energize Wayland, & Sustainable Westborough. See https://bit.ly/plugINSudburyMA to learn more and get started!
Composting: Investigating options for residents to compost. Encouraging Sudbury Public Schools and LSRHS composting their food scraps.
Single Trash Hauler: Sudbury currently has many independent companies contracting with residents for trash collection, each one driving their big trucks on most/many town roads. We want the town to go to a single hauler system and support it in this effort.
Sustainable Landscaping: quiet, non-polluting, electric equipment; converting traditional lawn; controlling invasive plants; native plants; etc.
Ongoing Actions
Town of Sudbury: We have regular meetings with Sustainability Coordinator Danielle Marini-King and keep track of the Sudbury Energy and Sustainability Committee and their meetings and doings, as well as the select board. We work with them to implement sustainable practices.
Annual LS Scholarship for Environmental Leadership: support the scholarship!
Foam recycling: Help plan and run the semi-annual foam recycling collections.
Plastics Reduction: Support the Town in implementing the plastics reduction bylaws that phase out single use plastics. To date these bylaw cover single serve bottled water, point of sale plastic bags, plastic straws, stirrers, splash sticks and styrofoam containers. We’re waiting on a home rule resolution from the Mass. State House that will allow businesses to charge for the bags they supply
Interface with Sudbury Businesses on sustainability, including support for plastics reduction bylaws and energy savings efforts.
Past Actions
2022 Climate Emergency Declaration: Sustainable Sudbury's Climate Emergency Group formed in early 2021 to create and official climate emergency declaration for Sudbury. We drafted and campaigned for article 58, "The Climate Emergency Declaration" (text here) which passed on May 4, 2022 at the annual Sudbury town meeting by a large majority, despite opposition from the town planning board, finance committee, and 2 of 5 select board members. Article 58 declared a climate emergency in Sudbury and called for the hiring of a sustainability director, creation of a Climate Mobilization Action Plan (CMAP) and greenhouse gas inventory. Although the article is legally non-binding, Sudbury has followed through on these actions, and otherwise made good progress. Learn more here.
Bicycle Safety : New safety signs installed in 2020. Learn more here
Plastics Reduction: Support the Town in implementing the plastics reduction bylaws that phase out single use plastics. To date these bylaw cover single serve bottled water, point of sale plastic bags, plastic straws, stirrers, splash sticks and styrofoam containers. We’re waiting on a home rule resolution from the Mass. State House that will allow businesses to charge for the bags they supply
Water filling stations: supporting reusable water bottle use with expanded water-station infrastructure in town. See https://sites.google.com/view/sudburyontap/home
100% Renewable Electricity in Sudbury: Sustainable Sudbury worked with the Energy Committee prioritize renewable electricity as a default option for all residents