Going ‘green’ in Greene

By April Taylor, Record Editor
Published: July 10, 2008

The Lafayette Inn in Stanardsville has been certified as a “Virginia Green” facility, in recognition of its commitment to the environment.
The award-winning restaurant and inn, located in Stanardsville, is the first restaurant in the region - and the first lodging facility in Greene - to gain such status, says its owner, Alan Pyles.
Virginia Green is a program that partners the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) with the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association (VHTA).
According to its organizers, the program aims to do the following: reduce the environmental impacts of Virginia’s lucrative tourism industry; increase environmental awareness of the industry and its customers; and “make the tourism industry more profitable through employment of green practices.”
“Virginia Green is a very important step towards moving a very large industry towards environmentally-friendly practices,” says VTC public relations director Tamra Talmadge-Anderson.
“It’s really our responsibility,” she adds. “We promote travel, we promote our natural environment, and therefore we have to take action to preserve and protect it.”
Virginia Green’s network of tourism-related organizations and programs have committed themselves to such environmentally friendly practices as recycling, water conservation, waste reduction, and energy conservation.
At the Lafayette Inn, for example, Pyles has started to incorporate fluorescent light bulbs in non-public areas, which are more energy efficient. Pyle says he also recycles cans, bottles, cardboard, etc.  He says he has placed his illuminated signs on timers to conserve energy. He also provides his patrons with recyclable to-go containers.
“It is very important what they are doing,” says Tom Griffin, coordinator for the Virginia Green program, adding, “It’s a very significant program overall.”
Talmadge-Anderson agrees.
“It’s something that we’re working to expand across the state —and something we’re hoping to grow even further.”
Those who have been recognized by the program are listed on the Virginia Green website (http://www.Virginia.org/green) and are included on VTC’s list of environmentally-friendly facilities at http://www.Virginiagreentravel.org, a web site that was launched last April in conjunction with Earth Day.
Pyles praised Virginia Green for providing “doable, sustainable baby steps” for those interested in being more environmentally conscious.
Pyles, who is also president of Greene’s Chamber of Commerce, is hoping such practices catch on with other businesses in Greene and beyond.
“Eventually we need to get it so that recycling is an easy process,” explains Pyle.  “The nice thing is, it becomes infectious,” says Pyle. “You feel like you’re doing your little part.”