Through events, projects, and research, the Environmental Center's Sustainable Business team adds value to the economic, social, and environmental triple bottom line of Fort Lewis College and the Durango community.
Sustainable Business Team Projects
Assisting with strategic planning and marketing of local independent business alliance Local First
Local First is an organization that works to build a thriving network of local, independent businesses in Durango. Sustainable Business Team members meet with the Managing Director to plan and carry out marketing and awareness of Local First initiatives such as the Be Local Coupon Book and Local Holiday Wrapping Paper. Local First is a member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, the national powerhouse behind local communities building strong relationships with their businesses.
Developing program criteria and services for the “Sustainable Business-Healthy Employees” project
The Sustainable Business Team is partnering with local organizations 4CORE, the Sustainability Alliance of Southwest Colorado, Local First, and the City of Durango to assess, monitor, and continually improve the social and environmental aspects of the triple bottom line for our local businesses here in La Plata county. The vision is as follows:
Create a thriving community that benefits our people, planet, and profit by navigating businesses through assessments, resource improvements, and publicly recognizing their progress. These achievements will generate opportunities for businesses and consumers to make healthy, positive choices while using local providers to keep our resources local.
The Sustainable Business-Healthy Employees program is expected to launch in 2011 with the assistance of the grant funds from the EPA. More to come on this project and the drastic positive changes it promises to bring to our community.
Creating and Maintaining our Sustainable Business List
Our sustainable business program grew from a class project. In the spring of 2007, the EC staff worked with a small group of students from Professor Tina Evans’ Value of Place class to define criteria for sustainable and socially responsible business. As part of this project, students spoke with local business owners and read about sustainable business initiatives and reporting systems from around the world to come up with the six categories on the form. After sorting through all this information, the students identified the following ways that a business can contribute to sustainability:
- Cutting the Carbon Footprint (e.g. increasing energy efficiency, using alternative fuels, buying green power...)
- Responsible Purchasing and Product Sourcing (e.g. products with recycled materials, sustainably-harvested lumber, organic and local produce...)
- Reduce, Re-use, Recycle (e.g. double-sided printing, office recycling, water conservation...)
- Enhancing the Environment (e.g. community clean-ups, habitat protection, on-site waste-water treatment...)
- Community Education & Investment (e.g. employee education programs, support of local community organizations, production of educational materials...)
- Fair and Healthy Workplace (e.g. living wages, health benefits, domestic partner benefits...)
In summer of 2007, the EC created the Sustainable Business List to allow businesses within the San Juan River watershed to highlight what they have accomplished in each of these areas. As a customer, you can use the list to compare what different businesses are doing to create a more sustainable world and shop accordingly. Each listing includes a short description of the business and contact information so customers can get in touch with businesses directly for more information.
In the future, local businesses addressing at least three of these areas will be listed in the next edition of the La Plata County Sustainability Resource Guide, a joint project of the EC and the Sustainability Alliance of Southwest Colorado.
In addition to the Sustainable Business List, the EC also assists with planning the Green Business Roundtable hosted by the San Juan Citizens Alliance. The Roundtable is the second Wednesday of the month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the Diamond Belle Theater of the Strater Hotel. The Roundtable runs from September to May. Contact the Alliance to make reservations.
In 2004, the Environmental Center also produced the Durango Green Map with support from the 1st National Bank of Durango.
Students at the EC have also been active promoting fair trade on campus and in the community. Students have worked with Sodexho to get fair trade coffee and teas on campus and for the past three years have attended United Students for Fair Trade conferences in Chicago, Denver, and Boston.