DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION
James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Theodis Beck, Secretary
|
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor Theodis Beck, Secretary |
| Patty McQuillan, Director of Public Information (919) 733-4926 | |
July 21, 1999
Raleigh - Munching worms, plastic drum lings and digital printing are just a few ways the N.C. Department of Correction found to save the environment as well as tax dollars.
| Corrections, being one of the leading state agencies in finding unique
ways to be more user-friendly to Mother Earth, will put its practices on display June 21
at the N.C. Project Green fair held on the front lawn of the Adams Building, Dorothea Dix
Campus from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sampson Correctional Institution will display a vermi-composting worm bin. The 200,000 worms at Sampson eat approximately 125 pounds of food scraps a day. Fair-goers can watch the action and learn more about how vermi-composting will save the Sampson prison landfill costs. Steel drums with plastic liners from Correction Enterprises' paint plant at Johnston Correctional Institution are used 60 times compared to the six times before liners were introduced, saving the state $325,000 a year. |
 Sampson C.I. prepare their booth to show their vermi composting project. |
The drums and the liners will be on display along with informational handouts.
Printing costs mount up, especially when it comes to government documents which are often outdated quickly. The Correction booth will show how it will be possible to cut agency printing costs by sending digital copies via the Internet. Government employees can update and download electronic files to be professionally printed and delivered in smaller quantities, reducing inventory and saving warehouse space. This will also reduce the number of outdated documents to be recycled.
Brown Creek Correctional Institution will be sharing ideas and experiences related to their innovative recycling techniques in institutional environment.
"Gov. Jim Hunt has made it clear to all state agencies and employees that we are to think green and to be aggressive in our pursuit of finding ways to conduct the state's business with minimal impact on the environment," Correction Secretary Theodis Beck said. "Correction employees have found a number of excellent ways to take the lead on the governor's initiative. We plan to keep turning out new methods to accomplish the department's goals while at the same time protecting our natural resources."