Students Tour Zero Waste Businesses, Prepare for Green Economy
by Iris Sela
High school business students in Boulder and Broomfield Counties are getting a sneak peek into what will hopefully be their future.
Through Eco-Cycle's school programs, they’re taking field trips to get hands-on experience with some of our best local Zero Waste businesses, and learning for themselves how someday they might run an environmentally- and financially-sustainable company. Today, the businesses they are visiting are the exception, but these aspiring young entrepreneurs may one day be an integral part of making Zero Waste business as usual.
“This program is particularly powerful because it helps younger generations see firsthand how their daily choices and actions impact the environment, and how, with the right information and tools, they can make a difference for the better,” says Deanna Bratter, Manager of Responsible Livelihood at WhiteWave Foods Company, which is the principal sponsor of the project.
Students also participate in Eco-Cycle presentations that highlight the main principles of Zero Waste, Zero Waste initiatives developing around the world, and how businesses can do their part to help build a Zero Waste community.
Accompanied by an Eco-Cycle educator, the classes tour the four businesses listed below—a vet clinic, an ice-cream shop, a hotel, and an internet and software giant—to have an in-person look at how various industries can do their part for the planet. Here’s a sampling of what students are learning:
• Along with implementing significant waste reduction initiatives, Aspen Meadow Veterinary Specialists is the first vet hospital in Colorado to be certified by Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE), is 100% wind powered, and is the first LEED-certified vet clinic in the country.
• The ice cream connoisseurs at Boulder Ice Cream use only “real foods” to flavor their rBGH-free ice cream. They divert 70% of their discards through reuse, recycling and composting, and use compostable materials when distributing ice cream samples at local events. Their facility is 100% wind powered and their trucks are powered by biodiesel.
• As Boulder’s first Zero Waste hotel, Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites has reported an increase in revenue due to its eco-friendly initiatives. The hotel uses non-toxic cleaning products, energy-efficient light bulbs and recycled-content paper products. It also features a chlorine-free pool, solar panels, and recycling and compost containers in each room.
• The staff at Google’s Boulder office created a Green Committee to tackle its Zero Waste and Zero Carbon efforts. To cut down on multiple trips, employees bring their electronics, shoes, block foam and other hard-to-recycle items to work to be transported to the CHaRM for recycling in one fell swoop.
“We think students will benefit from seeing, firsthand, how doing the right thing and success are not mutually exclusive,” said Allison Floyd, Software Engineer at Google.“ In fact, Google has often found that environmentally-conscious options make the most business sense.”
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Skyline High School students visit Zero Waste business Boulder Ice Cream to see the ins and outs of running an eco-sustainable business. |
