In keeping with Volusia County’s commitment to the environment, the expansion of the Deltona Regional Library building, which includes the Lyonia Environmental Center and the Deltona Amphitheater, was built utilizing green building standards and practices.

The County is seeking LEED certification for the building. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design. LEED is an internationally recognized certification for green buildings. The LEED certification was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Signage placed around the premises explains the green features of the building. The signs also have some additional green building facts.

Some of the green features include:

• Landscaping with native Florida plants reduces the amount of water, fertilizers, and pesticides needed. Native landscaping also supports biodiversity by providing food and habitat for wildlife. Native plants conserve water. In the average Florida home, fifty percent of water is used for irrigating lawns and yards.
• The air conditioning systems in the building are automated. The temperature is based on a comfort survey taken by building occupants in the first year of operation and is controlled by a computerized thermostat. Using survey responses, engineers are able to set the temperature to ensure that the majority of occupants are comfortable at any given time. Fixing the temperature will also stop energy from being wasted by over cooling or heating the building.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that evaporate or become gasses at room temperature; this process is known as off-gassing. VOCs affect indoor air quality and different levels of exposure may affect the health of building occupants. Paints, adhesives, carpets, flooring, cleaning products, solvents and sealants can all off-gas VOCs. We have used low VOC alternatives for these products.

LEED
The LEED certification includes six categories, Sustainable Sites (looks at the way the site is developed), Water Efficiency (how the building reduces water consumption), Energy and Atmosphere (includes building energy use), Material and Resources (includes the use of recycled materials, on site recycling and the management of construction waste), Indoor Environmental Quality (includes particulate matter in the air), and Innovation and Design process (includes building education).

Becoming a Florida Green Local Government

Green Volusia on the road

County staff is taking the Green Volusia display to a number of events throughout Volusia County.  The display won’t make it to all events but we are certainly trying to get it to as many as we can.  Staff will be there to chat with you if you want to learn more about the program.  If you have ideas for initiatives or thoughts about the Green Volusia program please share those too.

Pick up a Green Volusia reusable tote while supplies last.

Reusable bags
Don’t forget to take a reusable bag when you go to the store.  Plastic bags pose problems for wildlife on land and in our waters.  Reusable bags, like the Green Volusia tote, reduce the need for plastic bags which in turn reduces plastic in our land fills.  Plastic bags take 10 to 20 years to degrade.  If you have to use a plastic bag you can recycle it at many stores around the County.

Recycling on the beach
100 yellow recycling bins are now on the beach in New Smyrna.  The bins, placed next to trash cans, are just the start of the Parks Recreation and Culture Division’s beach recycling initiative.   

To promote the program, Volusia County will give away free reusable tote bags to the first 1,000 beach-goers from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 21 - 23 at the New Smyrna Beach toll booths. These bags were purchased by Anderson Co., the county’s beach trash and recycling collection and disposal contractor. 

Volusia County beaches are now some of the few beaches in Florida with a recycling program.  Once the entire beach initiative is up and running early next year Volusia County will be the only county with such an extensive recycling program. 

The goal of the beach recycling program is to promote the sustainable use of county resources and educate the public about the benefits of recycling.  Next time you are on the beach and you put a plastic bottle into one of the yellow bins just think, you saved that plastic bottle sitting in a landfill for 450 years or so.