This guide will walk you through the steps of moving your bank account. You can download this a flyer to distribute in your community. Continue reading
Here are the most compelling reasons to move your money to a locally owned bank or credit union. You can download this as flyer to distribute in your community. Continue reading
Is your community organization or local business alliance thinking about launching a public education campaign to encourage people to move their accounts to locally owned banks and credit unions? We have a range of resources to assist you, including help with definitions and identifying local banks, sample flyers, graphs and background articles, examples of local banking campaign materials from around the country, and more. Continue reading
In the 1990s, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and other energy activists in Minnesota undertook an effort to get Minnesota to adopt a billion dollar "tax shift" that would have raised the cost of energy while reducing taxes on income and/or property. ILSR was integrally involved in the design of the legislative proposal and examined the impacts on various sectors of Minnesota’s economy. Below you will find the archive of the materials that were prepared to support the initiative. Over several years, the proposal was debated extensively but never enacted into law. Continue reading
Vermont, Oregon, Gainesville, FL, and the Canadian province of Ontario have recently adopted feed-in tariffs for renewable energy, allowing any prospective renewable energy producer will get a guaranteed connection to the grid, a long term contract to sell their power, and a fixed price sufficient to recover their costs plus a reasonable profit. We believe that feed-in tariffs could turbocharge state level renewable electricity standards, reduce costs, and spread the economic benefits across many more project owners.
Deconstruction has several standard bearers across the United States. This article provides brief case studies and contact information for several of the leading companies. Continue reading
In dozens of towns across the country, citizens have seized the reins of their local economies by starting community-owned stores. This 6-page fact sheet shows you how to get started. Continue reading
Broadening awareness of the consequences of our shopping choices is an essential strategy for rebuilding our local economies. This 4-page fact sheet will help you get started. Continue reading
The added economic benefit of local stores has been dubbed the “local premium.” This one-page fact sheet explains it. Continue reading
Extended producer responsibility (EPR), based on the “polluter pays” principle, entails making manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of the products and packaging they produce. These are some of the tools being employed by EPR advocates. Continue reading
These links to organizations like the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Northwest Product Stewardship Council provide insight on the state of Extended Producer Responsibility in the US and abroad. Continue reading
This fact sheet packet profiles seven building projects—from new construction to renovation and deconstruction—that are recovering 42 to 82% of materials otherwise destined for disposal. Policymakers wanting to encourage building material recovery, building owners and developers interested in green building design, and contractors seeking a competitive edge will find this document useful. Continue reading
This fact sheet packet profiles seven building projects-from new construction to renovation and deconstruction-that are recovering 42 to 82% of materials otherwise destined for disposal. Policymakers wanting to encourage building material recovery, building owners and developers interested in green building design, and contractors seeking a competitive edge will find this document useful. Continue reading
These case studies- Fitchburg, WI, Portland OR, and Seattle, WA, were conducted by ILSR for the US Environmental Protection Agency, and are part of a larger study called Cutting the Waste Stream in Half: Community Record-Setters Show How (download full report or fact sheet packet). Each case study presents that city’s recycling strategies as well as the laws and policies from which the… Continue reading
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Waste Reduction Record-Setters Project fosters development of exceptional waste reduction programs by documenting successful ones. These programs can be used as models for others implementing their own programs to reduce garbage. The Don’t Throw Away That Food information packet below is oriented toward commercial and institutional food discard generators, and… Continue reading
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