Sitka Green Business Awards

Sitka Global Warming Group and Sustainable Sitka (SGWG/SS) are proud to recognize the following Sitka "Green" Businesses that are doing good things for the environment while also doing good things for our local economy. Through implementing green, environmentally-sustainable business practices, these award-winning businesses are contributing to the sustainability of our community, both in an environmental sense and in a financial and social sense.

For their work toward sustainability, we recognize and thank our local "Sitka Green Business Award" winners for 2013! 

 

2013 Sitka Green Business Award Winners

The following businesses are recognized and certified as Sitka Green Businesses for 2013

Check our list of businesses and their green practices to see what they do! 

Special Recognition

Platinum (15+ Green Practices)

Gold (10-14 Green Practices)

Silver (5-9 Green Practices)

 

Program Participation

SGWG/SS developed this local “certification” process to determine those businesses and practices to recognize through this program. The program’s four levels recognize different levels of commitment towards green practices. The more actions that a business is doing to help the environment, the higher the recognition level they received. 

Award levels have changed for 2013! Awards are determined as follows - Businesses using: 1-4 green practices received a Bronze Award; 5-9 green practices – a Silver Award; 10-14 green practices – a Gold Award; 15 or more green practices – the Platinum Award. The special recognition award is for a business or businesses involved in 1) ongoing green activities, and 2) a one-time, major environmental initiative.

Awards are determined through nomination by any interested party (employees, customers, owners, etc.), with the nominated business determining their own participation (see Nominations below). Awards are normally presented each year in the spring with nominations being solicited mainly in the fall. We will take nominations for 2013 Sitka Green Business Awards, either from businesses themselves or from customers (see instructions under Nominations, below) year-round.

The criteria for the awards are in constant development. SGWG/SS reserve the right to determine what practices will be listed and recognized and what businesses qualify for the awards.

 

Green Practices List

The following list of green practices was compiled from practices currently being used in Sitka and was used to determine the level of award for 2013. See our list of businesses and their green practices to see what they do! A copy of this list, designed for printing or copying and filling out as a form, is available under Nominations below.

Action

WASTE REDUCTION

Reuse materials

Give away usable items and/or food rather than throw it away

Encourage double-sided printing

Recycle 2 or more city-sponsored items

Recycle "specialty" items (batteries, shopping bags, print cartridges, phones, etc.)

Compost coffee grounds, yard, or food waste

Discount for customers reusing items (cups, bags, etc.)

Use reusable serving items (plates, forks, etc.) rather than throw away items

Use web-based (paperless) marketing, billing, etc.

Proper disposal of hazardous waste

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Energy Efficient lighting (Install/use CFLs, LEDs, etc)

Energy efficient heating (Install/use programmable thermostat, turn down heat at night)

Turn off lights, electronics (computer, etc.) at night

Installed/maintain other energy saving devices (elec. hand driers, auto. light switches)

Upgraded office building energy efficiency through insulation, energy efficient windows/heaters, and/or other large energy-saving construction

TRANSPORTATION

Provide/maintain covered bike parking

Support bike/walking programs (for employees or special initiatives)

Consolidate errands - transportation efficiency

Use teleconferencing/videoconferencing to reduce travel for meetings, training, etc.

Use 4 stroke outboards/take other measures to reduce boat fuel use

"Right sized" our vehicle fleet (reduced fleet to use less, smaller, & more efficient vehicles and electric or hybrids or even bikes)

GREEN MATERIALS

Use recycled paper/refurbished office supplies

Use environmentally friendly supplies/methods (including green seal certified products, natural fertilizers, un-bleached napkins with soy ink, etc.)

PRODUCTS

Provide training and consulting regarding green products

Sell Fair Trade or Forest Stewardship Council certified products

Sell or use organic ingredients in their products

Sell locally made/grown items

Sell reusable shopping bags

Sell re-used items

Use cloth towels or ask clients to reuse towels

COMMUNITY/ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT

Organize/promote clean-up events (land, water, beaches)

Promote/support green education (about energy conservation, invasive species, recycling, growing food, etc.)

Support local foods activities

Have employee/student Green Team or environmental organization

Promote “buy local” (by promoting other local businesses & other buy local programs)

 

Nominate a Business!

If you own, work for or know of a Sitka business doing green practices that you would like to see recognized with a Sitka Green Business Award, we'd like to hear from you! Please go to the Green Business Nomination Form, copy and paste the attached table into a WORD document, fill in the business name at the top and put an x in any green practices currently occurring at that business. Please email that filled-in list to info@sitkaglobalwarming.org. Also, if you have or know of additional green practices occurring that you would like us to consider adding to our list, please include a list of those in your email. Make sure to send us the business name and address as well as your name and email address. If you'd just like more information, please contact us at info@sitkaglobalwarming.org.

Nominations are mainly accepted in the fall. However, we will accept nominations year-round for actions taken the year before the award is presented (thus, 2013 awards are for green business practices implemented in 2012). Nominations for previously un-recognized businesses will be considered on an ongoing basis. Awards are generally presented once or twice per year.

 

History of the Sitka Green Business Awards

At a March 2009 SGWG/SS meeting one member suggested, "Thank local companies and businesses for green practices. Recognize those who are taking initiative! promote the positives!" By April of that year, a green business recognition program was prioritized as one of the most important actions to be taken by SGWG/SS in 2009/2010.

In April 2010, 35 Sitka businesses were awarded 2010 Sitka Green Business Awards. Three Sitka businesses received the Platinum award, two businesses received Gold awards, eleven businesses received Silver awards, and 18 businesses received Bronze awards. The City and Borough of Sitka and Sitka Assembly received the 2010 Special Recognition award for their work on Climate Action Planning in 2009 and 2010.

In 2011, 41 Sitka businesses received 2011 Sitka Green Business Awards. Thirty Sitka businesses received the Platinum award, two businesses received Gold awards, three businesses received Silver awards, and four businesses received Bronze awards. Mt. Edgecumbe High School, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the City and Borough of Sitka Electric Department received the 2011 Special Recognition award for their collaborative effort to install a wind power generator display project. For the 2010 awards, many nominations were made by SGWG/SS members who patronized the businesses. Often they would not see all the green practices being used which resulted in lower-level awards. For the 2011 awards, most businesses were self-nominated. This captured more of a business’ “hidden” green practices, but missed those businesses that did not nominate themselves.

In 2012, 23 Sitka businesses received awards.  Nearly every business was self-nominated. And 16 of the businesses awarded in 2012 increased the number of practices they implemented. In fact, the average number of practices being implemented went up from about 16 green practices on the 2011 award list to nearly 20 green practices in 2012 awards. Considering that only one new practice was added to the green practices list, that's a significant increase in green activity in the local business community. A Green Business Open House was held on September 15 as an added feature to the 2012 awards. Baranof Island Housing Authority gave tours and information on their new LEED-certified office building while Sitka Office Services showed off some of their green equipment and behaviors. Over 100 people attended!

The list of green practices was compiled using actions that local businesses were already successfully implementing. The list can grow if businesses bring up new practices and SGWG/SS agrees upon them. Recent additions to the list of green practices include: "right sizing" vehicles used in the business, upgrading buildings, and actively encouraging “buying local” at other local businesses in Sitka. We always consider new suggestions.

This program came about because members of SGWG/SS recognized that many Sitka businesses are engaged in green practices such as recycling, composting, installing bike racks, encouraging use of reusable cups/bags/plates, and energy conservation. Realizing that these “green” practices benefit the environment, save money, and increase our sustainability, SGWG/SS wanted to recognize and thank those businesses, encourage others to start “greening” their business, and help local businesses take advantage of a green marketing strategy. We hope these awards add business and improve sustainability and resilience in Sitka.

 

Recent News Releases and Photos

One of the ways we hope to encourage our green businesses is through well-deserved recognition.  We strive to share their good work through articles, award logos, and award certificates.

Two 2012 Award Winners - Down to Earth U-pick Garden and University pf Alaska Southeast - Sitka Campus

Date:    September 10, 2012                           

Contact: Michelle Putz, Sitka Global Warming Group

2013 Sitka Green Business Awards Kick-off With an Open House

Businesses in Sitka are saving money and going green.  And they want Sitkans and other Sitka businesses to know about it and join in! 

The Sitka Global Warming Group/Sustainable Sitka (SGWG/SS) are heading into their fourth year of awarding Sitka Green Business Awards.  And this year, the organizers and participants are throwing a big kick-off to 2013 award nominations.

SGWG/SS will once again be working with local businesses to provide information and education on ways to save money and conserve resources, and then recognizing and thanking local businesses that are using these green business practices through 2013 Sitka Green Business Awards. 

“During the final Sitka Farmer’s Market on Saturday, September 15, two local businesses will host open houses to show off their “green” construction and business activities and to kick off the 2013 Sitka Green Business Award program,” announced Michelle Putz, Green Business Award organizer for SGWG/SS.

Sitka’s Baranof Island Housing Authority (BIHA) and Sitka Office Services (SOS) will provide tours, snacks, and information at their locations on Katlian Street beside the ANB Hall. 

Both businesses were awarded Sitka Green Business Awards in 2012.  For BIHA, this was their first award.  They received the special recognition award for constructing a LEED-certified office building in 2011. BIHA will give tours of their new LEED-certified – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – 4,000 square foot office building. 

Features like Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and strategically placed window glazing minimize lighting costs in hallways and office spaces in the new BIHA building.   Also, "Green Building" materials and methods used in the project benefit both the earth's environment and the users of the facility.  Environmentally friendly caulks and "green" insulation batting help maintain excellent indoor air quality for BIHA staff and visitors.  And storm water runoff from the parking lot and filters through a landscaped "bioswale" before entering an oil-water separator.  All of this helps to ensure a high-level of water quality before leaving the property and returning storm water to Sitka Sound.  The combination of these design and construction features and several others qualified BIHA's new office as Sitka's first commercial building to be LEED Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.  Signs and information will show visitors some of the features of the building that help to save energy and water, and reduce waste.  More about LEED and the building’s LEED certification will be available at the open house.

SOS will feature many of the actions businesses can take to reduce their waste and improve energy efficiency. “Coming from Dallas, Texas, one of the things that attracted me to Sitka was the close relationship of Sitkans to nature,” says Ann, owner and proprietor of SOS.  “Our relationship with the sea, the mountains and the seasons is an important part of living in Sitka; however, with that comes a strong responsibility to care for our environment.  That’s why, when I started SOS, I made a commitment to be a good steward of our resources, function as “Green” as possible, and to recycle and conserve.”

SOS received their first Green Business Award in 2011.  They received a Platinum award in 2011 by taking 13 of the listed actions.  In 2012, they received their second platinum award and added two more green actions to their repertoire.   “Ann [Wilkinson]’s business is very strong in the waste reduction category,” Putz said.  “She reuses things that might otherwise get thrown away, prints on both side of the paper, recycles, and does marketing and billing via email and the internet instead of printing everything on paper.  Her points also come from energy and fuels saving behavior, like turning off lights and computers at the end of the day and consolidating errands when driving.”  Putz added that SOS also promotes community sustainability by supporting buy-local and local foods efforts.  “All of the actions SOS is taking are helping to reduce business cost and/or helping to make SOS a “good neighbor” to other local businesses and the community.”

“The award program is a continuation and upgrade of this ongoing program,” said Putz.  Last year, 23 local businesses were awarded the 2012 “Sitka Green Business Award” for their green business practices by SGWG/SS.  Twenty-one of Sitka’s businesses received the highest recognition, the Platinum level award.  One business received a Gold level award, while BIHA received the Special Recognition award. 

Since the program’s inception in 2010, 62 total awards have been presented.  Michelle reports that businesses are reaching higher levels each year with 16% at platinum in the first year, 75% at platinum in 2011, and 95% at platinum in 2012.

SGWG/SS developed this local “certification” process to determine those businesses and practices to promote and recognize through this program.  Using energy/money-saving recommendations from local businesses, the group now has a list of over 35 green practices that local businesses are already using to save money.  These practices also determine the “winners” of the green business awards.  The program’s four levels recognize different levels of commitment towards green practices.  The more actions that a business does to help the environment, the higher the recognition level they received.  A special recognition category was set up for a business involved in a one-time, major environmental initiative. 

“The program has grown and evolved,” says Putz.  “We asked for our participants’ suggestions and have been moving forward on many of the suggestions we’ve received.  Based on many businesses’ current actions we revised some of our practices and added new ones to this year’s list.  Also, based on suggestions and the high level of participation we receive, we are increasing the number of green practices needed to reach the higher award levels.”  Award levels will be as follows for 2013 and future awards: Businesses using:  1-4 green practices – Bronze Award; 5-9 green practices – Silver Award; 10-14 green practices – Gold Award; 15 or more green practices – Platinum Award.  Puts said, “It will make reaching the higher level awards more difficult, but we hope it will encourage stretching out and trying new things.”

Nomination forms can be picked up and dropped off at the open houses on Saturday from 11 am till 1 pm.  The list of green practices and method for nominating a business can also be found on the SGWG/SS website at: http://www.sitkaglobalwarming.org/green_practices_nomination.html

Nominations for the first round of 2013 awards will be accepted until December 1, 2012.