FXBG Sustainability Award winners announced
The City of Fredericksburg’s Clean and Green Commission recently announced the 2024 Sustainability Award winners. This year, 31 city businesses received the annual award for implementing environmentally sustainable practices in their business operations.
Each of the awardees were required to agree to implement at least nine sustainable practices in their business operations, increasing from seven practices required in 2023. Examples of such practices include eliminating single-use items (including plastic and styrofoam), eliminating the use of plastic bags, sourcing food locally, providing customers incentives to bring their own containers, transitioning to energy-efficient lighting and using U.S. EPA-recognized safer chemical cleaning products. Several of the award winners are pursuing creative sustainability practices such as hosting river clean-ups, having their product lines include reused items and recycled materials, and offering free recycling of electronic waste at their business.
“We are pleased that a record 31 city businesses met the sustainability award criteria in 2024 and business participation has increased each subsequent year we have offered the award ” said Robert Courtnage, Chairman of the Sustainability Committee of the Clean and Green Commission.
“The growth of our award is making a real impact by increasing local environmental sustainability practices. We are proud of these local business’s efforts and their role in the community,” said Sustainability Committee member Sarah Hurst.
George Solley, Clean and Green Commission chairman, echoed these observations: “Robert and Sarah, with support from others, have done a great job in getting this program off the ground and expanding it each year. The level of participation by local businesses indicates a real commitment by business owners to adopt environmentally friendly practices, and we look forward to expanding the program further in the coming years.”
2024 awardees were provided a storefront sticker to display for their customers to see, and these businesses will be celebrated for their efforts on social media. They will also be recognized at an upcoming Fredericksburg City Council meeting. Additionally, a map showing the location of the businesses who received the sustainability award will be provided to visitors at the City’s Visitor Center.
The 2024 Sustainability Award winners include the following businesses:
- Fredericksburg Food Co-op
- Foode
- Whiskey Rebellion
- Orofino
- Castiglia’s
- Fraser Wood
- Tapa Rio
- Phosphene
- Old Towne Butcher
- Ironclad Inn
- La Petite Auberge
- Downtown Salon
- Ponshop
- River Rock Outfitter
- Riverby Books
- Katora
- Centerpiece Studios
- Blue Sage Message Studio
- Whitby’s
- FXBG Technology
- Global Thread and Thrift
- Collage Spa (two locations)
- Sammy T’s
- Latitudes Fair Trade
- Haley’s Honey Meadery
- Dragon Fly Yoga Studios (two locations)
- Italian Station
- City Vino
- Abner B’s Ice Cream
For more information on the 2024 Sustainability Award winners, visit cleanandgreenfxbg.com/sustainabilityaward.