Contact: Sean Skaling, Executive Director, Green Star, Inc.
Phone: 278-7827 Fax: 279-5868

Green Star, Inc. announces that 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games Alaska has earned its Green Star Award for adopting environmental standards in their organization. Green Star board member David Wigglesworth presented the award at an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce luncheon on May 15, 2000.

To earn the award, Special Olympics implemented a comprehensive plan to control and reduce waste and pollution during the 2001 World Games. Part of this plan focused on recycling. Because of the large numbers of people affiliated with the games, litter and waste might be a problem. Special Olympics expects to recycle at least 80,000 water bottles alone during the event. In order to effectively control this problem, Special Olympics has trained its employees and volunteers in appropriate recycling methods and promoting conservation of resources. They have also focused on cutting their organization’s waste output. The office is saving paper by printing xerox copies on both sides before recycling, and they are using vanpools and buses for transportation of the delegates, so that amount of fuel used and pollutants will be reduced.

Green Star, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that encourages organizations to incorporate techniques of waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention in their places of business.