Environmental Services
Environmental Information for Businesses and Property Managers
Recycling Requirements
 | Businesses and multi-family properties in Arlington are required to have a recycling program. Recycling used materials for re-processing is a valuable community service that helps protect our environment. The economic benefits of recycling are often overlooked, even though the industry generates $236 billion in annual revenues and employs approximately 1.1 million people, according to a study by the National Recycling Coalition. Arlington County staff estimates that recycling one ton of materials at the curb (on average) saves the County $17 when compared to the cost of disposing of this material at the Waste to Energy Facility, where Arlington's trash goes.
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Pollution Prevention
 | As a business owner, we need your help to prevent pollution! In urban areas such as Arlington, much of the land is covered by impervious surfaces such as streets, buildings, and parking lots. During storms, these impervious surfaces prevent rainfall from soaking into the soil. Rainwater runs off these hard surfaces, picking up pollutants like trash, oil, pet waste, lawn chemicals, and carrying them into local streams. Businesses may use larger volumes of cleaners, paints, chemicals, and oil than other facilities, which can be a potential source of water pollution. |
Energy Conservation
Whether your business is manufacturing, real estate, retail, healthcare, education or government, controlling and cutting costs is important for success. Reducing energy use and increasing energy efficiency is a proven strategy for cutting and controlling costs with good returns. Arlington County encourages businesses in Arlington to take action to reduce energy use and emissions, thereby saving money on energy costs as well. View energy guidelines for various business sectors. If you would like to learn how your business can save energy, find out more!
Green Building
Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources including energy, water, and materials, while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment. Arlington County has a commercial green building program. A helpful set of standards and guidelines is provided by a comprehensive LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) created by the US Green Building Council. Depending on your space, the LEED rating systems can be used to fully certify your building or office under the LEED program, or it can be used as general guidance to greening your building or office space. The two most frequently used rating systems in Arlington County are LEED for New Construction and LEED for Commercial interiors. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations is designed to guide and distinguish high-performance commercial and institutional projects. LEED for Commercial Interiors is a benchmark for the tenant improvement market that gives the power to make sustainable choices to tenants and designers.
Transportation
Traffic congestion and transportation costs impact the well being of your employees and affect your business’s bottom line. Free transportation services are available through Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP), a division of Arlington County Commuter Services. ATP can provide information about all the transportation systems in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area to enable you to provide convenient, logical transportation alternatives to your employees that are proven to be valuable employee benefits while also providing excellent business benefits.
Get in the Games!
Learn more about the Arlington Green Games, a year-long competition for select business sectors! This interactive program engages businesses with training, one-on-one support and a robust online resource of tips and tricks. Check it out: www.arlingtongreengames.com
