The Knoxville Chamber recently announced the introduction of a new Green Business Recognition Program that will honor businesses that have implemented strategies to reduce waste, save energy, and become more environmentally conscious. In addition, the program will encourage other businesses to implement green strategies.
“Green business is good business,” said Garrett Wagley, the Chamber’s director of communications and government relations. “In this time of rising energy costs it makes good business sense to look for ways to reduce costs and to employ environmentally friendly practices. The Chamber simply hopes to celebrate those that have implemented and encourage those that are considering implementing green business policies.”
Chamber members interested in receiving recognition must simply complete an online application, which includes a list of green practices. Applicants receive points for meeting the requirements of listed items. Points awarded are based on the level of difficulty of that item or the amount of the expense required to implement that green strategy. Examples of the green practices in the list include: recycling paper (1 point); recycling plastic (1 point); composting food and landscape waste (2 points); having a professional perform an on-site energy audit (2 points); using recovered wastewater and/or rainwater (3 points). Twenty total points will be required to be recognized as a green business by the Knoxville Chamber. Applications are available at www.knoxvillechamber.com.
The Chamber’s recognition program does not have a laborious certification process. Chamber members simply submit an application that reports their green efforts. Unlike some national green certification processes that are expensive and cumbersome, the goal of the Chamber’s program is to get all members thinking about green policies.
”One of the keys to this program is that it demonstrates to all businesses – those with a long history and those just getting started – how easy it can be to implement a green program,” continued Wagley. “Members can use the application as a ‘checklist’ as they review their businesses for places to save money and to reduce their environmental impact.”
In addition to the application’s checklist, applicants also have the opportunity to describe a unique green initiative they have put into practice. That information will be shared with other members and businesses on the Chamber’s website and considered for inclusion in its monthly newsletter.
The Chamber staff began a recycling and conservation effort in January 20008. In that brief time period, the Chamber has dramatically reduced the amount of waste and the amount of materials deposited in the trash. Staff readily adjusted behaviors and the implementation of new green policies was easy and painless. The results were dramatic and demonstrate the impact that any businesses can have. During the second quarter of 2008 (March 6 – June 6) the Chamber recycled 42 lbs of aluminum (which is the equivalent of 19.8 barrels of oil), 560 lbs of plastic (which equals 11.8 cubic yards of landfill space), and 4,200 lbs of paper (which resulted in the saving of 36 trees – enough trees to build an 1,800 square foot house).
These are the companies which have completed successful applications:
Aqua Clear Water Systems
Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects Inc.
Claris Networks
Clayton Homes
Design Innovation Architects
EconoLodge
EdFinancial Services
Elizabeth Eason Architecture, llc
Fulghum, MacIndoe & Associates, Inc.
Green Car & Courier
Green Village Green
Knoxville's Community Development Corporation
Michael Brady, Inc
Rapid Refill
SeaRay Boats
Smith and Hammaker
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Thermocopy
Vinyard Floor Covering Co. Inc
Virtual Interactive Center
