Fourteen years ago, Southbury residents Susan and Tirdad Riahi decided to solarize their home, reducing their reliance on traditional energy sources.
“It was the best decision we ever made,” they say without hesitation.
The Riahi’s were among the many attendees at the fifth annual Sustainable Southbury Energy Fair & Green Expo on Saturday, May 31 held at Pomperaug Elementary School.
Local vendors, businesses and non-profits packed the gymnasium to offer information about living cleaner and greener.
The Riahi’s – locals to Southbury for over 35 years – say they appreciate the local efforts being made by Sustainable Southbury, especially after years of trying to convince their neighbors and friends to learn more about environmentally-friendly options.
“It feels great to be a part of all this,” said Tirdad Riahi. “The more we educate, the more likely they’re going to get on board. It takes persistence.”
Sustainable Southbury, the nonprofit environmental conservation organization, has been promoting and driving local action for about five years. They’ve earned the town both bronze (2022) and silver certification (2024) by Sustainable CT, a statewide program that offers support to municipalities that opt into the initiative.
Their monthly bottle recycle events have drawn long lines of cars with bags full of redeemable recyclables. Funds were raised for Rochambeau Middle School at the most recent recycle drive.
Chuck Litty, the nonprofit’s Founder and President, says the Green Expo provides an engaging way for residents to become sustainable in their daily lives.
“We often say, ‘Just do one thing,’ it all makes a difference,” said Litty. “Whether it is reducing the food that is wasted, carrying a water bottle instead of buying water in a single-use plastic bottle, or weatherizing your home to make it more comfortable and energy-efficient, or buying local to support your local businesses instead of shopping online, it all helps.”
Volunteers from the group, like Fadwa Najamy, were on-hand at the Expo to educate attendees about food composting, along with providing demonstrations on proper food storage and tips for neighbors to lower their energy production.
Before the Riahi’s left, they were able to purchase a pair of food scrap countertop pails from Najamy. The locals have been taking the pails to the town’s transfer station, where the collected material is brought to a facility to be turned into compost or renewable energy.
With a background in energy engineering, the couple say they’ve prioritized green initiatives in their own lives, including being conscious of single-use plastics and taking advantage of the town’s sustainability efforts.
“Only a small portion of recyclables are actually recycled,” said Riahdi. “It kind of breaks my heart.”
Local organizations on-hand included the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition, Southbury Land Trust, Southbury Arts & Culture Alliance, Southbury Garden Club, Southbury Community Lions Club, and the Southbury Affordable Housing Alliance.
The Green Expo also included student work from Regional School District 15, where students participated in answering the question “What do the 7 R’s mean to you?”. (Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Regift, and Recycle)
The 2025 Green Expo’s sponsors included Helio Solar, ELC Energy Solutions, Chatfield/STIHL, EG Homes, ShopRite, Griswold & Sons, Home Doctor of America, Señor Panchos, and Stop & Shop.
To learn more about Sustainable Southbury, visit www.sustainablesouthbury.org
The Southbury Record 