Through the Gloucester Green Office Challenge, county businesses learn how to put simple environmental strategies into action to reduce avoidable waste and pollution, while saving energy and costs.

Clean Community coordinator Bill Bell said the Challenge assists participating businesses in implementing environmentally-friendly, or "green" initiatives that will help to improve the environment and reduce the county’s carbon footprint.

Bell recently presented a certificate to the first local office completing the challenge. The recipient was Practical Energy Solutions, Inc., which has an office at Main Street Center.

"If we are going to talk the talk, we should walk the walk," said Craig Sandahl, national construction manager for PES. The company’s construction operation is based in Gloucester, with the corporate headquarters in Wallingford, Conn., and sales offices in Florida and Pennsylvania. The company has four employees in Gloucester, with a...