The Library is pleased to announce it has achieved Green Business Certification through the Green Business Partnership (GBP), a public-private partnership managed in part by Westchester County. GBP offers support to businesses and organizations who are interested in reducing their carbon footprint and making their operations more sustainable.

The Library’s Green Team–led by Librarian Kathlyn Carroll–worked to evaluate the Library's current performance in a variety of areas, including water and energy usage, purchasing decisions, and waste management. Many changes were made to Library practices, including use of LED lighting, green purchasing, waste audit tracking, and a greenhouse gas inventory. Recent renovations to the circa 1974 building greatly improved the Library’s energy efficiency, thanks to planning by the Library and the Department of Public Works for the City of White Plains.

White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach commented on the new certification saying, “I'm thrilled to see the White Plains Public Library achieve this Green Business Certification. It aligns with my goal of incorporating sustainable practices throughout city operations and proactively advancing green initiatives, such as with our community solar program. White Plains is leading by example, and the Library's latest achievement is one more example of that. Kudos to the Library and the Dept. of Public Works for making this happen.”

Going forward, the Library has committed to an ongoing green building program by making sustainability an initiative of its Strategic Plan for 2022-2024 which will focus on engaging in new green projects every year.
The Library was inspired by the leadership and advocacy of Rebekkah Smith Aldrich – author of Sustainable Thinking and now Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Library System – as well as the achievements of other libraries across the state.

Support for this initiative came from the White Plains Library Foundation. The Foundation supports initiatives that promote literacy, educational achievement, cultural enrichment, career development, and lifelong learning for all ages.

About the Green Business Partnership: The mission of the Green Business Partnership is to engage, educate and empower organizational leaders and staff to accelerate sustainable business, a critical step toward ensuring that all people and communities have equitable access to a safe, clean, healthy and nourishing environment.

Find a PDF of our press release here.