Category Archives: Business Tools

Pollution Prevention Awards Due Tomorrow!

The Utah Pollution Prevention (P2) Association is requesting nominations for the 2013 Outstanding Achievement in Pollution Prevention Awards.

Large Businesses or Industry, Small Businesses or Industry, and Community Involvement Programs are eligible. Special consideration will be given to businesses or organizations demonstrating Collaboration with other businesses and organizations, Employee Involvement, and Innovation and Initiation of New Programs.

These awards recognize the outstanding efforts of businesses whose practices reduce risk to Utah’s environment and to public health. To be considered organization must be able to demonstrate excellence in pollution prevention practices for the calendar year 2012.

Reductions can be achieved through practices, projects or activities that reduce pollution at the source or remove materials from the waste cycle. Pollution prevention avoids transferring waste from one environmental medium (air, land, water) to another.

Treating existing waste, installing equipment to comply with pollution control regulations, and energy recovery are not considered pollution and will not be considered for this award. Projects that focus on the environmental benefits of a product or service are not eligible.

Who is Eligible?

Any individual
Environmental, community, educational, or non-profit organizations
Business
Industry
Agriculture
Trade or professional organizations
Local government

Entry Deadline: Tuesday, September 10, 2013

For Rules, a Nomination Form, and Previous Winners, visit the P2 Web Site.

Selection Criteria

2013 Outstanding Achievement in Pollution Prevention Awards

Activities should be true pollution prevention, not pollution control or treatment. Acceptable activities include:
- Facilities, program-wide and multimedia efforts, or outstanding projects;
- Projects must reduce waste generation, pollutant emissions or other releases at the source; recycle materials or conserve water or energy.
Nominated program should use sound technology, be innovative and cost effective.
Environmental benefits should be demonstrated.
Applicant’s efforts, both inside and outside their organization, should promote pollution prevention as the preferred approach to protecting the environment and human health.
Measurable progress should have occurred during the calendar year of 2012.
Efforts should be able to serve as a model for other programs.
Efforts should be taken voluntarily (in advance of regulatory requirements), but can be an innovative response to regulatory programs.
Nominees should have a good overall environmental compliance record for two years prior to the nomination deadline.

Nomination Form

All nominees should submit a cover sheet, a one-page summary, and a narrative description. Optional supporting documentation, including charts, photographs, news clippings, news releases, publications, or other material may be included.

The cover sheet should include:

Nominee’s name, address, and telephone number(s);
Name, title and phone numbers(s) of a contact person to answer questions regarding the nomination;
Name, title, organization, address, and telephone number(s) of the person/organization submitting the nomination (if not self-nominated, please be sure to notify the nominee).

The summary should include:

A one-page overview of activities including dates when achievements occurred.

The narrative should include a description of:

The nominee: including background information, reasons for the project or program and number of individuals involved and their efforts;
Pollution prevention efforts, quantitative results of efforts, technological or managerial innovations, employee involvement, financial impact on operations, and costs and benefits (financial or otherwise).

Submissions must be received by Tuesday, September 10 and sent to:

Pollution Prevention Awards
Utah Pollution Prevention Association
Attn: Paul Harding
P.O. Box 144810
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4810
(801) 536-4108 Fax: (801) 536-4457

Electronic submissions may be sent to pharding@utah.gov

Recap: e2 Green Drinks Event

SLCGreen’s Peter Nelson recaps last week’s e2 Business/Green Drinks event.

Last week’s Green Drinks was a great success, thanks to its sponsors and always-enthusiastic attendees. The February Green Drinks sought to highlight the Salt Lake City e2 program and its many business members, including the event’s sponsors Unsacred Brewery and Zest Kitchen & Bar. Not long after the doors at Zest had opened that evening, guests were enjoying sliced cucumber topped with cashew chive cheese straight from the kitchen and lining up to the bar counter to be poured complimentary glasses of Unsacred brew from the tap.

While Green Drinks always draws a crowd of loyal sustainability enthusiast, the evening’s guests also included many new comers who had the opportunity exchange names and contacts and expand their own network to this quality group of community-minded people. Amidst the appetizers, pint glasses and conversations were e2 businesses members discussing the efforts that their companies have made to make Salt Lake a more economic and environmentally vibrant city.

As always, a few minutes of time were taken hear from the event’s hosts and learn about their involvement in the sustainability community. Zest owner Casey Staker shared the brief history of his new restaurant, the philosophy behind its vegetarian menu, and its focus on local and organic ingredients. City staff provided a brief overview of the e2 program, offered a preview of the program’s new initiatives for the coming year, and encouraged all in attendance to join e2 or support its businesses.

Ultimately, the combination of Zest’s intimate space, the excellent beer and food, and a dynamic group of guests resulted in another successful Green Drinks. Thanks again to Unsacred Brewery, Zest Kitchen & Bar and the committed businesses of the e2 program for contributing to a fantastic night.

Report: Intermountain Sustainability Summit

Last week Sara Rose Tannenbaum with SLCGreen headed up to the Intermountain Sustainability Summit. Here is her first-hand account of her experience there:

At the Intermountain Sustainability Summit there were four session tracks to sample from or follow throughout the day. The one geared towards students engaged with the emerging Fossil Free Campus Divestment campaigns and explored how to pursue sustainability as a profession.

The other three session themes highlighted current issues and innovation within water, energy and recycling sustainability.

The Intermountain Sustainability Summit theme of recycling began even before setting foot into Weber State University’s Shepherd Union Building. Lining the pedestrian entrance to the conference was a veritable display of recyclables: not bins of beer cans or a cluttered collection of office papers, but huge blocks— bigger than 90 gallon recycle bins—of compressed cardboard, deflated plastic and squashed metal.This nonverbal presentation made transparent the usually unnoticed side of recycling. Just like we break down our cardboard, it’s important to dissect and try on the many dimensions and disciplines of sustainability.

Keynote speaker L. Hunter Lovins (pictured above) made the case for innovation and sustainability from a business perspective. Lisa Skumatz, an economist, used statistical analysis to highlight efficiency of cost-effective approaches to recycling. It was the variety of perspectives present at the Intermountain Sustainability Summit that made it a valuable learning and networking experience. We’re lucky to have so many exciting initiatives, businesses and leaders fighting on the green front.

Check out some great photos from last week’s event.

e2 Teams Up with SLC Green Drinks

Mark your calendars! The e2 Business program is excited to announce that it will be hosting this month’s Green Drinks event on February 25^th.

Green Drinks is a local organization that coordinates monthly gatherings of Salt Lake City’s sustainability community, where guests can network, socialize, enjoy locally sourced beer and food and learn about the region’s newest sustainability initiatives and organizations.

For February’s event, the e2 program is excited to showcase its nearly 100 member businesses, discuss the program’s current successes and introduce new program initiatives for 2013. Food will be provided by Zest Kitchen & Bar, with beer from Unsacred Brewery.

This is a great opportunity to come and meet the people behind Salt Lake City’s green businesses, share some ideas and enjoy great food and drink. We hope to see you there!

Salt Lake City’s e2 Business program is dedicated to helping Salt Lake’s business community run in a more environmentally and economically sustainable manner. Nearing 100 members, the e2 Business program is an excellent way for like-minded businesses from all sectors to share ideas, make connections and receive advice from Salt Lake City’s staff experts. Learn more about the e2 Business program.