Area businesses share their stories at MPOWER Champion Public Showcase
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January 23, 2015 event at Monona Terrace, RSVP required
Whether it was setting up a bike repair station or creating a green office plan for an upcoming move, the 2014 MPower participants have implemented over 60 projects since beginning the program in April. In addition to project implementation, the 2014 cohort collectively logged over 200 hours of training on The Natural Step and sustainability topics ranging from energy efficiency to waste management.
Trek Bicycles, one of our participants, was inspired by the session on Sustainable Food Choices, which led to one of their successful projects. Through the MPower Program they will be working to systematically convert their cafe into a healthier, farm-to-table, organic food source. When their first step of switching to organic eggs came with a price increase of $0.00, Nick Robinson, Trek’s Environmental Health Safety and Sustainability Manager, exclaimed “Simple.” This is just one of many examples of how sustainability can be implemented at low to no cost.
Aldo Leopold Nature Center took the topic of Water Stewardship full circle when they installed sink aerators in the 4 faucet fixtures in their public restrooms, reducing the water flow from 1.5 gallons per minute to .5 gallons per minute. Not only will they be reducing water use at their facility, but they also came to understand how this MPower project will help reduce the impact to the Yahara watershed. This holistic approach to sustainability connects organizations to their surrounding environment and community in mutually beneficial ways. And, as environmental educators, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center gets to share their work with the next generation of sustainability champions.
Trek, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center and 10 other MPower Business Champions will share their stories of success and lessons learned during the 6th annual MPower Champion Public Showcase on January 23, 2015 at the Monona Terrace in Madison. The interactive event serves to educate other area businesses, civic and governmental leaders on the opportunities and challenges of becoming a more environmentally and socially responsible business.
“The MPower Champion Public Showcase is an important way for our participating businesses to tell their sustainability story and receive recognition for their efforts. And by getting the word out, the community will gain a better understanding of how these efforts impact the Greater Madison Region,” said Stacie Reece, Director of Sustainable Business Initiative at Sustain Dane.
Sustain Dane’s MPower Business Showcase will be held on Friday January 23, 2015 at 7:30 – 9:30 AM at the Monona Terrace in Downtown Madison. It is free and open to the public, but RSVP is required. To register, please visit mpowershowcase.eventbrite.com.
About the MPower Business Champion Program
The MPower Champion program is a nationally recognized model for hands-on collaboration surrounding carbon reduction and sustainability in businesses, organizations, and schools. Sustain Dane facilitates the program, now in its sixth year, and works directly with organizations to design, implement, and measure a customized sustainability strategy, connecting them to expert resources, proven methods and best practices, and support in their effort.
Since the program began in 2009, 70 area businesses and organizations have excelled as MPower Business Champions, successfully implementing change in areas of waste reduction, energy efficiency, transportation and supply chain efficiency, employee wellness and engagement, community outreach, and more. The MPower Business Champions represent Madison’s diverse and vibrant local business community, ranging in size, industry, and type.
As a result of the program, MPower Champions collectively boast an annual reduction of 26,100 tons of CO2 emissions and costs savings of over $1,657,000. That is the equivalent of removing 5,200 cars from Wisconsin roads each year. In addition to calculating the tons of carbon and kilowatt-hours of electricity saved, other results and benefits of the program are measured in terms of employee engagement, customer feedback, and more.
The 2014 MPower Champion Program is made possible to participants for a nominal program fee by the generous support and partnership of MGE, The City of Madison, CUNA Mutual Foundation and a U.S. EPA Climate Showcase Communities grant.
For more information about the program, please visit www.sustaindane.org.
The 2014 MPower Business Champions are:
- Aldo Leopold Nature Center
- City of Monona
- Filament Games
- Isthmus Publishing Co., Inc.
- Madison Environmental Group, LLC
- Research Products Corporation
- Reynolds Transfer & Storage
- Shopbop
- Trek Bicycle Corporation
- Tutto Pasta State Street
- UW Health - Digestive Health Center
- UW Health - Middleton Rehabilitation Clinic
Sustain Dane believes that the Greater Madison Region can become a national model for sustainability and sustainability innovation. Sustain Dane works towards this vision by fostering and supporting a rich and diverse community of sustainability champions across many sectors of society. To learn more about current programs and initiatives, please visit www.sustaindane.org. Sustain Dane is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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