JK Moving & Storage Inc., the largest independent moving and storage company in the Washington, D.C., area and the second largest in the nation, is awarding its inaugural Environmental Sustainability Award to the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID). The company will officially present the award during an open house at its Sterling, Va., headquarters on March 26. All JK clients, including community partners, industry leaders and Fortune 100 companies, were considered for the honor.
 
Criteria for the 2008 award were based on what JK refers to as SMART objectives: 

The Crystal City BID was chosen based on its numerous initiatives. In March 2008, the district launched a Crystal Green Program, aiming to reduce energy demand and the area's carbon footprint, minimize automotive travel, increase recycling, and promote the environmental awareness and sensitivity of area businesses, restaurants and residents. The program inspired numerous events including a volunteer cleanup day with Canon U.S.A and Arlington County FreshAIRE.
 
Crystal city also created the Crystal Farms Program in May 2008 to bring community-supported agriculture (CSA) to employees and residents of the area. CSAs allow members to purchase "shares" of a farm's crops in the form of weekly fruit and vegetable deliveries. It then followed with a landscaping partnership to add, save and reinforce green practices, and to lay out a program that used best environmental practices for property maintenance.
 
Crystal City also helped divert thousands of pounds from the waste stream through the Crystal Green Power Purge. Held in the summer of 2008, the event provided area businesses and residents with an opportunity to safely, securely and sustainably recycle unwanted electronics. The BID collected more than 50,000 pounds in materials that were recycled according to guidelines approved by the Department of Defense.
 
The new JK award was born out of more than 10 years of company’s personal development and strategizing of its own sustainable practices. Under the leadership of Steve Kuhn, executive vice president, the company’s green initiatives involve every aspect of the business, guided by a sustainability task force comprised of industry experts, environmental experts and JK employees.
 
JK’s sustainability efforts have diverted more than 540,000 tons (1 million pounds) of waste in the past seven months alone. The company has also become a hub for information and guidance for clients who wish to make similar shifts toward sustainable practices.
 
Founded in 1979, JK offers local, long-distance and international mobility solutions for residential and commercial customers. For more information, visit www.jkmoving.com.