Pearlstone Conference & Retreat Center
5425 Mt. Gilead Rd Reisterstown, MD 21136 Central Maryland 410-336-8500 www.pearlstonecenter.org As inhabitants of this world, it's our obligation to tend to it. Harmful environmental practices re Management and Leadership We use the following best management practices: Environment Policy Statement: Environmental Team: Our entire management team is committed to running an eco-friendly, sustainable retreat center. Environmental practices are reviewed monthly as a management team. Set Annual Goals: We are currently working on four projects: 1) to replace or modify our sewage treatment facility with one that is environmentally friendly and green to protect our local waters and to provide us with valuable by-products which will be useful and not wasteful; 2) installation of solar panels on our greenhouse annex to be built this spring; 3) supplement or replace our water heaters with solar hot water collectors; and, 4) exploring ways for the center to be waste-neutral by composting every conceivable byproduct. All of these are intended to reduce our carbon footprint and our reliance on non-renewable fuels. We have a purchasing policy to encourage the purchase of environmentally-friendly products and services List of our environmentally friendly products and services: All disposable dinnerware (cups, plates, etc.) are made from corn starch and sugar cane and are compostable. All our cleaning chemicals are green. We compost a portion our food and are looking to expand this component of our waste management plan. Environmental Restoration or Community Environmental Projects: Pearlstone hosts the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network, which supports greening and eco-friendly efforts across the Baltimore Jewish community and partners with other faith-based organizations to accomplish its goals. We planted a seven-acre riparian buffer to protect our local streams and pond. We manage a five acre educational organic farm, lead multiple 3-day watershed pilgrimages to the Chesapeake Bay to learn about our environment and the impact on humans on it. We are a certified Maryland Green Center. Independently Audited Environmental Management System: Pearlstone has a committee of lay people and professionals who act as an advisory board. They provide ongoing evaluation and recommendations for activities in this area. Waste Reduction We use the following best management practices: Have a plan in place to reduce property waste Track overall waste bills and established baseline data for quantity of wastes produced Performed a waste stream audit to determine baseline waste data and identify waste reduction opportunities Guest Rooms Use bulk soap dispensers instead of individual soaps / shampoos in guest rooms Use real coffee mugs and no polystyrene products Instruct housekeeping to save and reuse unopened items Use refillable shampoo bottles rather than single-use bottles Kitchen and Prep / Dining / Catering / Meetings and Events / Campground Snack Bar Donate excess food from events Compost food waste and other compostables Use effective food inventory control to minimize waste Purchase locally grown produce and other foods Purchase organic foods Purchase sustainably grown foods Do not use polystyrene coffee cups Use disposable food service items are eco-friendly - polystyrene is avoided If disposable containers are used, they are made from - bio-based materials, recycled content, and/or compostable material Use cloth napkins and tablecloths Use reusable dishware and glassware and minimize use of disposables Use non-bleached napkins and coffee filters Provide condiments - (cream and sugar, etc.) in bulk Use water pitchers and filtered water to minimize the use of single-use bottles Use menus and table placards as opportunity to communicate green activities Provide organic, local or sustainable food choices Use screen-based ordering systems Restrooms Use bulk soap dispensers in public restrooms Purchase recycled-content paper towels and toilet paper Registration / Office Use last-in/first-out inventory and effective labeling systems Use electronic correspondence and forms Purchase from vendors and service providers with a commitment to the environment Encourage suppliers to minimize packaging and other waste materials Purchase recycled paper with a high percentage recycled content Make 2-sided copies / printed materials and avoid making extra copies Remove facility and staff names from junk mail lists when possible Promote other green attractions, activities and Maryland Green Travel facilities Buildings and Grounds Use green cleaning chemicals Dispense cleaning agents in bulk to reduce quantities used Purchase durable equipment and furniture Purchase low-VOC carpets and fabrics Use low VOC adhesives Use reused building materials or those from sustainable sources Use latex paints that are low or no-VOC Properly recycle and/or dispose of thinners and solvents - required by EPA regulations Perform preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing and vehicles Use less toxic materials Use Organic Farming Principals Use integrated pest management - IPM Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers in landscaping Use a nutrient management plan that minimizes the use of fertilizers Use natural fertilizers instead of synthetics Use composted production materials for fertilizer Our Innovative Ideas and Specifics in Waste Reduction: We use drip irrigation for our farm. We do timed-watering cycles. We encourage local bicycle transportation. Recycling We have recycling bins in the main lobby areas. We are recycling: Aluminium Cans Batteries Cardboard Electronics equipment Food Composting Food Wastes Glass Fluorescent Lamps Newspaper Office Paper Plastic Printer and copy machine toner cartridges Steel Cans Water Conservation Have a plan in place to reduce property water usage Track water bills and established baseline data on water usage and wastewater generation Have a numeric goal to reduce water consumption over time Perform preventative maintenance to stop drips and leaks Use water-flow metering to discover leaks and areas of high use Discourage water-based cleanup, ie. sweep first Use microfiber technology mops Defrost foods ahead of time in refrigerators to avoid the need for running-water defrost Use or installed the following devices: low flow restrictors on faucets and showerheads low flow toilets (1.6 gpf or less) waterless urinals composting toilets automatic or sensored faucets or toilets in public restrooms high efficiency Energy-Star rated dishwashers Have an effective landscape management plan which utilizes: Have an effective storm water plan management including: Pervious pavement, and/or minimization of impervious areas like paving, concrete, etc Use cisterns Use drip line irrigation Maintain vegetative buffers around streams and ponds	Energy Efficiency We use the following best management practices: Have a plan in place to reduce property energy usage Track overall energy bills and establish baseline energy usage Have had an energy audit to identify efficiency opportunities Have an energy management system in place to track and meter energy usage Kitchen Regularly evaluated existing ovens and other kitchen equipment for temperature settings and energy efficiency opportunities Confirmed that all refrigerator, freezer and oven gaskets provide a good seal, or replaced Routinely clean condenser coils on all refrigeration equipment Implemented a startup / shutdown procedure which specifies timing for lighting, kitchen equipment, room temperature, etc. Have proper pilot light adjustment Setting / installing defrost timers for freezers Lighting: Designed use of natural lighting Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms Minimize the use of lighting during night cleaning Use of directional, downward-facing, lighting in parking areas and other outdoor areas Use high efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs in rooms, canned lighting or wherever possible Use high efficiency fluorescent ballasts and lamps - T-5's & T-8's Heating and Cooling Have a high efficiency heating and air-conditioning HVAC system Regularly perform preventative maintenance on HVAC system Have geothermal heating and cooling Have programmable thermostats for each room and ensure they are properly adjusted Minimize the use of lighting during night cleaning Housekeeping closes blinds and resets optimal temperatures Have installed additional insulation Energy Efficiency: ENERGY STAR computers, appliances, office equipments etc. Turn off all electrical items in unoccupied rooms when not in use or at the end of the day Linen Service and Laundry: We use these best management practices: Provide optional linen service - Change linens only upon request Train staff on the process for optional linen service Have signage in each room explaining the linen reuse procedures Have water- and energy-efficient washers and dryers Use non-phosphate, non-toxic and biodegradable laundry detergents Minimize the use of bleach and chlorinated chemicals Use linen service providers that employ wet versus dry cleaning Recycle Grease We use the following best management practices: Store the grease and have it picked up by a rendering company Periodically pump the grease traps Have a contract with grease filtering company that takes the grease away Minimize Disposable Food Service Items We use the following best management practices: Use disposable foodservice items made from bio-based, renewable materials (corn, bamboo, etc.) Use disposable foodservice items made with recycled content Use recyclable foodservice items and actively recycle them Use compostable foodservice items and collect such items for composting or direct this material to available composting operations in your area Green Events We use the following best management practices: Use ideas set forth in Maryland Green Travel's Checklist for Planning Green Events Support event planners who want to hold green events Include information on Green Events / Weddings / Meetings / Conferences in our marketing materials Train all event planner staff on green event techniques Provide visible recycling at all green events Minimize the use of disposable food service items Our Innovative Ideas and Specifics regarding Green Events: We offer sustainability programs to groups using our facility and farm related programs. Other Green Practices Transportation: We use the following best management practices: Minimize the Comute of our Employees-Many of our staff occupy a farmhouse that is 1.5 miles from our site. The center rents the townhouse. This allows our staff to live close by and to carpool and/or bike to work. Addressing Efficient Business Travel-We encourage groups to coordinate flight arrivals to pool rides to the center. Green Building: Our building is LEED certified: Sustainable Building Materials:Our new addition used only sustainable and LEED recommended building materials. Our Innovative Ideas and Specifics regarding our Green Building techniques: Our Conference Center farm uses a "cob oven" made from local clay and straw and is building a service structure with mostly recycled materials. Measurable Results We installed ground-source heat pump (geothermal) for our recent new addition. This reduced our fossil fuel consumption by 40%.