Submitted by Sustainable Connections
Sustainable Connections awarded five Whatcom County businesses as sustainability champions at the organization’s 14th annual All Members Meeting.
The Sustainability Champion Awards are an annual recognition of Sustainable Connections members who are pioneers in our local economy. Drawn from the four tenets of Sustainable Connections mission, the awards recognize leaders in the following four categories: Strong Community, Healthy Environment, Meaningful Employment and Buying Local First, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award for an individual who has led the way in making positive changes within their business and the greater community. The winners are as follows:
Strong Community: Saturna Capital
As a values based asset management company, Saturna strives to create long-term value for all Whatcom residents and our community as a whole. Since their inception in 1989, they have had a strong focus on the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. Most recently, they have introduced sustainable funds, which allow community members to invest directly in issues that are environmentally and socially responsible. They are financial sponsors of WWU’s Sustainable Business Lab, donate at least 5% of their profits to local organizations each year, and have a team of dedicated staff that volunteer and donate to charitable organizations throughout the region – this year they raised 145K during the 2015 holiday season alone!
Healthy Environment: The Chrysalis Inn and Spa
The Chrysalis has long recognized the importance of integrating environmental initiatives into their business practices. They were one of the first Community Energy Challenge participants in 2011, are key participants in the Towards Zero Waste program, have developed a water conservation plan, and are committed to using eco-friendly products in the hotel and spa. Not only do they track and measure emissions, energy and water use, they have made substantial investments to their property to decrease environmental impact. To date, they have reduced their waste by 56% and have reduced their CO2 emissions by 47 metric tons! Though they have made amazing progress they continue to set ambitious goals for the future including meeting an 80% reduction in waste generation.
Meaningful Employment: Scratch and Peck Feeds
Scratch and Peck Feeds is a family owned and operated business dedicated to promoting sustainable farming practices, supporting the local economy, and producing healthy organic animal feed. With around 20 full-time employees, they believe that the people who make up Scratch and Peck Feeds are its greatest asset and aim to provide the best work environment possible. In addition to providing robust health benefits, they offer a retirement plan, professional development for all employees, and an ample amount of paid time off. At monthly meetings they provide nourishing locally crafted lunches and encourage open dialogue and feedback in order to actively engage their team members. From small gestures to large, they consistently strive to provide a healthy and supportive workplace environment.
Buying Local First: Pizza’zza
With the success and introduction of the Pizza’zza Mobile, this foodie hub went beyond their regular local support and sought out two Bellingham manufacturers, Trivan Truck Body and Woodstone, to have a 100% Whatcom made pizza truck. In addition, they’ve donated 5% of their proceeds from their recent Indigogo campaign to Sustainable Connections Food to Bank on program, which supports new farmers in the region. They have been devoted to supporting the local food economy since day one, sourcing local ingredients from Skagit and Whatcom Counties for many of their menu items. In fact, their local food purchases equate to more than 60K which is reinvested in our local food economy each year.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Marty Jelinski of Bay City Supply
Marty is a long standing member of Sustainable Connections and has had Bay City Supply involved in almost every sustainability program that Sustainable Connections offers. He was one of the first Community Energy Challenge participants, has been a strong advocate for the Towards Zero Waste Campaign, and has also dedicated a portion of his businesses property in order to create a green storm water treatment system. As the owner and operator of this janitorial supply and distribution business for over 25 years, his values have always shown through and strengthened the work that his company does. He continues to work hard to provide low costs, innovative products and sustainable cleaning solutions for workplaces and homes. In addition, he also frequently donates to local organizations that he believes are key to the success of our local economy.
“We are fortunate to work every day with leaders and pioneers crafting the future of best business practices,” said Becca Taber, Membership Coordinator at Sustainable Connections. “This community has an incredible wealth of knowledge, innovation, and heart.”
