If you do not already know, I am passionate about the environment. Many of the things we take for granted, such as the foods we eat and the sights that we enjoy, are being impacted by climate change and unsustainable practices. As we inch closer to Earth Day 2016, I like to look back at some of the accomplishments our business has made to become more eco-friendly. Here are a few things I’m proud of.
If you do not already know, I am passionate about the environment. Many of the things we take for granted, such as the foods we eat and the sights that we enjoy, are being impacted by climate change and unsustainable practices. As we inch closer to Earth Day 2016, I like to look back at some of the accomplishments our business has made to become more eco-friendly. Here are a few things I’m proud of.
Sustainable Day-to-Day Operations
Greening your office starts with how you get to work. I encourage my employees to ride their bikes to work when the weather is nice. We offer plenty of bike parking!
Within our office, 100 percent of our electricity comes from renewable power sources. Although our warehouse has doubled in size since 2006, we’ve been able to lower our energy costs since we first started.
We also have a company garden where we plant flowers and vegetables (no excuses for not getting enough veggies everyday in our office!) Plenty of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and strawberries for the whole team!
Our Recycling Program
We’ve teamed up with TerraCycle to make it easier for you, our loyal customers, to run an eco-friendly business. Our recycling program includes batteries, computer equipment, office furniture, light bulbs, pens, pencils, highlighters, toner, paper, and styrofoam. For pen and pencil recycling, we’ve offered specialized recycling bins to help do the “write” thing.
When it comes to deliveries, we’ve combined shipments and reduced how much packaging we use. We also deliver using our own trucks to improve route efficiency and consolidate deliveries by area.
Sustain Dane
Working together towards a healthier planet is a goal we strive towards. I’m blessed to have served on the board of directors and in the hall of fame for Sustain Dane. This wonderful non-profit works on making Madison a sustainable city by creating a “greenprint” to reduce emissions, encourage innovation in health transportation, design, and education.
We are proud to be apart of the MPower ChaMpion business program. Since 2009, MPower ChaMpion members have removed 26,540 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from our air. They have also worked on 398 different projects ranging from sustainable food to energy efficiency.
Our Awards
Our EZOPeops and their commitment to sustainability have lead to recognition both locally and nationally. The American League of Bicyclists recognizes bicycle friendly businesses based on five criteria: encouragement, engineering, education, evaluation, and planning. We received a bronze designation for our commitment towards a bike-friendly office.
Madison Gas & Electric (MGE) recognized EZOP as a leader of their Green Power Tomorrow program for our commitment to sustainability. In addition to encouraging customers to buy local and provide exceptional service, being environmentally friendly is important to a community that truly cares about sustainability.
Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Thanks to your support of our recycling programs, we have been able to make Madison an even better place to call home. Thank you for making our city greener each year!