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Rydal Park Residents Started A "Green Team" To Improve Quality Of Life And Save Money

By Michelle Durham

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--Residents at Rydal Park may be retired but they are far from idle.

Several residents are part of a "green team." They have made environmentally friendly recommendations to management that have resulted in thousands of dollars in savings and  they've only just begun.

Ninety-seven-year-old Leo Kehl wore many management hats during his long career and now he takes those troubleshooting skills and puts them to work at Rydal Park Retirement Community.

He and other Green Team members were troubled by the lights being on 24 hours in the buildings, so they commissioned a bulb study.

Kehl says of the study, "out of that we found, we could save $4,000 in our test area a year, and as it expands it will probably get up to as much as $40,000 a year."

Resident Marian Poole says the mission of the green team is simple, "lots of people doing small things that all add up to making our world healthier, cleaner and greener."

Mary Emore's recycling involvement dates back to her girl scout days and she says she's always been a woman of action.

"My retirement isn't a retirement. I'm on about six committees which keep me busy."

The team continues to expand their efforts to improve the quality of life while saving money, and management is thrilled.

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