cute?) and in between naps- got to do a full green audit of the spaces that I was allowed to interact with. Here are some of the things that I noticed that we should be doing much better since it is now 2012. Note these all are things that either save money without an upfront investment- you don't have to spend money to "go green".

1. Waste management- Could not find a recycling bin in either the maternity ward, or the cafeteria.

2. Waste management- Did not get the option to use silver ware or plates. I had to use plastic and foam.

3. Health/ Waste management- McDonald's was the only food source that was available 24/7. Not healthy or green with all of the packaging.

4. Indoor Air Quality- I sneezed every time I had to use the soaps or hand sanitizing solutions since they had so much perfume in them. If I sneezed- imagine what the lungs of a 4 day old felt.

5. Indoor air quality- The cleaners that they used in the room were not low-VOC. Not good for mothers, babies or the people working around them.

6. Energy Management- Did not see any occupancy sensors in any of the spaces that were not in use 24/7 so they could shut off to save power.

I could go on and on, however in a space with so many smart people working in it, why are we still so wasteful? There are many articles that I have read on this and have consulted other hospitals that were much worse. If you want to see a medical facility in Atlanta with a green business/ marketing plan- check out Emory- http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/about-us/sust...

It's not hard as long as you stick to the basics- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Bob the Builder and

To see more details of these projects, click on the pictures below, as well as on the links in the original contest post. These and other d5Remodelers are also creating their own Hometalk profiles, so be sure to check them out!

It's great connecting with you all on Hometalk.