OCTOBER IMPACTOR: Greenco Environmental

Greenco Environmental owners Tim & Melia Lesko are true pioneers in sustainability and the foundation for the national accolades received by the City of Atlanta and the Zero Waste Zones. It took over eighteen months of perseverance and determination for the Leskos to wade through the permitting and zoning requirements necessary to open their state-permitted food composting site in Barnesville, GA , roughly 50 miles south of Atlanta.

Developing an organics collection system for the foodservice industry is no easy feat. The Leskos faced many challenges in their first two years of operations: contamination issues, torrential rains, adequate carbon (yard trimmings, wood chips) necessary for the compost recipe. With creativity and resolve, the Leskos found solutions for the challenges inherent in composting operations and oversee a vibrant business.

Thanks to the Leskos Atlanta has composted over 15,116 tons of food residuals, previously destined for landfills, into valuable compost. These impressive numbers translate into 514 metric tons of methane not released as a Green House Gas, with a carbon equivalent of 10.803 tons (1964 cars off the road for one year).

Greenco is a family business with Russ Lesko, Tim’s brother, invested in the business and serving at the Chief, Jack of All Trades. Melia works with the foodservice operators when she is not busy raising their two lovely daughters.

Join Ei in honoring the Leskos for their dedication and commitment to making the Earth a better place for our children to inherent. THANK YOU.

Visioning Atlanta's Path to Sustainability

Atlanta's first envisioning event for a sustainable Atlanta was a huge success! EnvisionATL sold out with more than 200 participants, representing 32 partner organizations and co-hosting non-profits as well as businesses, academic institutions, concerned citizens and 5 city of Atlanta departments. The energy and excitement around this event is a testament to the potential we have as Atlantans to create a vision for a more sustainable Atlanta and chart a path to realize this vision. EnvisionATL is presented by Sustainable Atlanta in conjunction with Mayor Reed and the City of Atlanta.

EnvisionATL is a forum based on the World Café discussion model designed to foster conversations from diverse constituents around an aspirational and shared vision for a more sustainable Atlanta. The first session was held on October 13, 2010. Anyone interested in helping build an aspirational and shared vision for a more sustainable Atlanta. Participants will represent academic institutions, businesses, faith-based, civic and environmental organizations, governmental agencies and other groups and individuals interested in bringing community resources closer together.

Stay tuned for the draft vision narratives, event photos, a video from Mayor Kasim Reed and a public comment period for air, land, water, and material resources, as well as information about our next event on http://EnvisionATL.org.