The Chrysler Green Team: Keeping Norfolk Clean

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans celebrated the first Earth Day with rallies across the country to inspire environmental consciousness. This week, Earth Day turned 50! Since that first organized push to better care for our planet, Earth Day has moved to the international spotlight with more than one billion people working to combat land, air, and water pollution and educate people about global warming and climate change.

At the Chrysler, we are doing our part to protect the community’s air, land, and waterways. Our efforts are led by the Chrysler Museum’s Green Team. Established in January 2018, the Team led by Director of Human Resources Mirna Blair has worked to reduce the Museum’s negative impact on Norfolk’s watershed and create an environmentally conscious culture. The Elizabeth River Project’s River Star Business program recognized the Chrysler Museum of Art with a One-Star Commitment Level award for extraordinary eff­orts to reduce toxins, conserve resources, and become more environmentally sustainable.

The Green Team encourages Chrysler staff members to bring reusable cups to work in order to reduce waste, use eco-friendly cleaning supplies, and participate in quarterly Adopt-A-Spot clean-up days to remove litter from an assigned area along St. Paul’s Blvd. in Downtown Norfolk. Staff members recently expanded their clean-up efforts to include the area surrounding The Hague near the Museum.

Green Team. Adopt A Spot clean up, Winter 2019.

Chrysler staff collecting trash along St. Paul’s Boulevard as part of the Adopt-A-Spot initiative.

To date, the Team has collected more than 160 pounds of litter, and the Museum has recycled more than 16,000 cubic feet of waste. The Chrysler has saved 600,000 gallons of water thanks to a condensate recovery system and low-flow and automatic fixtures at the Museum. That’s almost enough water to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool. The Museum has also saved more than 10,000 sheets of paper by transitioning to a completely electronic payroll system. In 2012, the Chrysler installed an energy-efficient HVAC system with occupancy sensors in workspaces. Forty-one motion switches and ninety-one LED lights also help the Museum save energy. Since installing the motion switches, the Chrysler has saved over 25,000 kilowatts of energy. Stormwater improvements include porous concrete in the courtyards and Filterra biofiltration units in the parking lots that are optimized for high volume treatment and pollutant removal. Reduced fertilizer on the grounds and timed irrigation also contribute to the sustainability of Norfolk’s watershed.

The Chrysler Museum looks forward to doing more to increase sustainability in its operations and eagerly anticipates working with the Elizabeth River Project to keep Downtown Norfolk clean and protect the city’s watershed.

-DeAnne Williams, Content Manager