In the 10 years since they opened Cowork Frederick, Julia and Glen have continued to strive for sustainability in nearly every aspect of their business.
“Cowork is one of the greenest places I’ve ever been.”
Wayne Dorsey – Cowork Frederick Member
As Cowork Frederick cofounders Glen and Julia Ferguson renovated the historic building at 122 East Patrick Street, they had a mission in mind: to be as sustainable as possible. During the construction phase, they strove to repurpose or reuse as many building materials as they could. If they couldn’t find used materials or furniture, they would buy them from places like Frederick ReStore ( a home improvement center that supports the work of Habitat for Humanity right here in Frederick County). “Our renovation was so “green” it caught the attention of one of our early members who contacted county officials and, in 2012, Cowork Frederick received a sustainability award ,” Julia explains.
Sustainability is a core value of Cowork Frederick
In the 10 years since they opened Cowork Frederick, Julia, and Glen have continued to strive for sustainability in nearly every aspect of their business. The owners are passionate about reducing their carbon footprint by recycling, composting, reusing, and sharing resources. Conserving resources and reducing your environmental impact is also about doing what’s best for your community. Being “eco-friendly” isn’t just a catchphrase, it’s also a way of life.
Sustainability in Action
Saying that your business is “eco-friendly” is easy, but it’s important to put that idea into action. “At Cowork Frederick, being green is about so much more than words or token gestures. Their commitment to sustainability is evident in literally every room. They make it easy; all you have to do is show up. And as a vegan, I particularly appreciate what they have in the kitchen, from oat milk to plant-based snacks in the communal snack bowl,” says member, Scott Harris.
Composting and Recycling at Cowork Frederick
“When getting food for events, we seek out restaurants like Beans & Bagels that use compostable containers. We pay attention to what Frederick County accepts for recycling and try to avoid things like those common “clamshell” plastic containers that cannot be recycled or composted,” explains Julia.
“I’m from a rural area where we can compost right in our own yard, but I never knew it was possible to compost in downtown Frederick until I joined Cowork Frederick and was introduced to Key City Compost,” says member Emily Melluso.
Julia and Glen also show their dedication to having a low carbon footprint by composting and recycling as much as possible. This is achieved through a partnership with Key City Compost, which provides a commercial-grade composting service. All food, including dairy and meat that would not normally be put in a backyard compost pile, can be composted. They also compost paper towels, pizza boxes, and napkins. “Twice as much is composted or recycled than goes out as trash. Most weeks we throw away no more than 2 tall kitchen bags’ worth of trash,” Julia says of their sustainability efforts.
They also believe supporting the market for items made with recycled materials. Here are a few of the ways that Cowork Frederick supports the full cycle of recycling:
- Uses 100% recycled paper in their printers.
- Uses 100% toilet paper made from at least 50% post-consumer paper. Same for paper towels.
- Buys furnishings made from recycled materials. For example, Room brand phone booths are made with 1,088 recycled plastic bottles (each). The patio furniture is also made of recycled plastic, as well as area rugs and rug pads.
The list goes on.
“It’s just the right thing to do. We see our coworking community as part of a larger community that extends across Frederick and ultimately the world. If we care about others (and we do), how could we not consider how our daily actions impact them? We want to be good world citizens.”
Julia Ferguson – Co-founder, Cowork Frederick
Shared Responsibility
At Cowork Frederick, the idea of shared responsibility is key. This means that each member is expected to contribute and do their part towards reaching the common goal of reducing their carbon footprint.
“I appreciate how conscientious the Cowork community is about waste. Offices can generate a lot of trash, especially when people don’t feel a sense of shared responsibility,” says member Ryan Stadt. We can bring balance to our community by supporting each other, and working together to reduce our impact on the environment.
Here are some of the ways that members contribute:
- Putting all waste in the proper receptacles (compost, recycling, landfill)
- Collecting packing materials from home to donate to North Market Pop Shop
- Walking, carpooling, or riding a bike to Cowork Frederick
- Sharing food and other resources
- Reducing single-use plastics
“It’s just the right thing to do. We see our coworking community as part of a larger community that extends across Frederick and ultimately the world. If we care about others (and we do), how could we not consider how our daily actions impact them? We want to be good world citizens.”
About Cowork Frederick
Cowork Frederick’s mission is to be a catalyst for the success of freelancers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs by creating ways for them to come together to work, share ideas, and support each other. Our diverse coworking community consists of people from many backgrounds and professions. We provide a work-friendly environment, meeting rooms, and the usual office amenities at an affordable price. More important, members of our coworking community benefit from a support infrastructure, a chance to connect with and help others, and a place to belong. For many, it’s just a better way to work.