Two local schools — Laurel and Encinal — and two businesses — St. Clair Gallery on Santa Cruz Avenue and Kepler’s bookstore — are winners of Menlo Park Environmental Quality Awards for achievements in waste reduction, environmental education and energy conservation, the Menlo Park Environmental Quality Commission has announced.
The awards are presented annually to show how local individuals, businesses and organizations contribute to environmental quality in the city, said Dianne Dryer, Environmental Programs Coordinator, in a recent statement.
Schools
The city recognized Laurel and Encinal, both Menlo Park City School District schools, for their “Zero Waste” lunch program that led to school vendors changing to compostable or recyclable utensils and containers, now made from cornstarch or sugarcane. The program, which began at Laurel in 2005 and was brought to Encinal in January, encourages teachers to use washable plates, cups and utensils in classrooms.The schools and parent volunteers have conducted a campaign to persuade parents to pack a waste-free lunch and to educate students about recycling bottles and cans, and composting leftover food and paper products. According to Ms. Dryer’s statement, in the last year, the schools’ combined effort kept five tons of garbage from ending up in the landfill, while also reducing garbage collection costs.
The schools have used e-mail newsletters and other means to spread the word in the community and to other schools.
“Other school districts have approached us and are interested in doing the same thing,” parent-organizer Alice Valentine wrote in a letter to the school district. “We have set a great example for our kids and our community, as well as other communities.”
Earlier, the schools received an honorable mention at Sustainable San Mateo County’s annual awards dinner.
Businesses
St. Clair Gallery, which sells carpets at 855 Santa Cruz Ave., was recognized for reducing energy use. Owner Mark Ghanbari replaced most of the 75 watt spotlights with compact fluorescent fixtures, claiming it improved lighting brightness and eliminated hot spots. According to Energy Star, a government program that promotes efficiency, compact fluorescent light bulbs are up to 75 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last five to eight times longer. By reducing electricity consumption by two-thirds, Ms. Dryer says the gallery cut its electric bill by enough to pay for the improvements in less than five months.Kepler’s bookstore on El Camino Real won an award for its “Go Green Summer” series of community programs. Kepler’s partnered with environmental organizations, businesses, schools, authors and the city to present 12 free public events that explored ways to improve the environment.
The program included in-store events, such as a discussion with Jesse Cool on eating “sustainably,” as well as field-trips, such as the July 29 outing to Arastradero Preserve. Due to the positive feedback, Kepler’s says it plans to conduct similar events throughout the year.
Redwood City attorney sues ‘First Amendment auditors’ after Menlo Park disputeApril 2, 2026 11:31 am
