Columns Archives

Imagine Trash Partner Testimonial: Morgan & Morgan CPAs

February 23, 2017/in Columns /by Aaron Bouwkamp

West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum is still offering a waived co-pay promotion to members that sign up for the Imagine Trash Partner Program. WMSBF currently has 15 of the 50 promotional waste audit slots remaining, so the sooner you reach out the more likely the offering will still be available. The program includes a package of technical resources for small and medium sized organizations in the West Michigan region to improve their recycling efforts and potentially establish zero waste to landfill goals. Now scheduling waste audits for February and March.
This week, WMSBF highlights Imagine Trash Partner Program participant Morgan & Morgan CPAs, an accounting and consulting firm focused on improving the financial and operational performance of small and medium-sized organizations, individuals and families through strategic tax and assurance services.
In response to the Imagine Trash waste audit performed onsite at Morgan & Morgan CPAs (M&M), members within the organization had a chance to assess its current waste stream and formulate a recycling program to align with recommendations provided in the audit findings. M&M plans to take initial actions including the installment of a waste diversion program that engages office, janitorial, and building staff in order to achieve their zero-waste-to-landfill goal. M&M plans to provide each office with its own recycling bin, as well as placing SORT recycling and composting bins in the common & kitchen areas. M&M will also place an Organicycle composting bin outdoors, and is currently working with the property manager regarding shared outdoor recycling dumpsters for paper and plastics. The company’s office administrator will work to train janitorial staff and new & existing employees on the installment of the recycling program, along with coordinating participation of these initiatives throughout the building in which they operate.
Learn more about the Imagine Trash initiative or request a waste audit at wmsbf.org/imagine.

Imagine Trash Partner Testimonial: SME USA

February 23, 2017/in Columns /by Aaron Bouwkamp

West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum is still offering a waived co-pay promotion to members that sign up for the Imagine Trash Partner Program. WMSBF currently has 15 of the 50 promotional waste audit slots remaining, so the sooner you reach out the more likely the offering will still be available. The program includes a package of technical resources for small and medium sized organizations in the West Michigan region to improve their recycling efforts and potentially establish zero waste to landfill goals. Now scheduling waste audits for January and February.

This week, WMSBF highlights Imagine Trash Partner Program participant SME USA, a leading Midwest consulting engineering firm with a track record of using big-picture approaches to deliver right-sized, sustainable solutions. SME experts help clients solve issues ranging from tough site development and redevelopment, facility rehabilitation and maintenance, and environmental challenges. With specialists in geotechnical engineering, environmental sciences, materials engineering and testing, and more, SME can deliver the innovative thinking and practical solutions businesses need to obtain real, sustainable success.
In response to the Imagine Trash waste audit performed onsite at SME USA, members within the organization had a chance to assess its current waste stream and formulate recycling program to align with recommendations provided in the audit findings. SME plans to take initial actions including the installment of a single-stream recycling dumpster from its current waste hauler, adding recycling containers in break room and lab/workroom areas, and the centralization of waste bins by removing from personal offices and only including in conference room, break room, and lab/workroom areas, with appropriate signage included. SME will also train and engage new employees & janitorial staff on the diversion programs new procedures to reduce waste and segregate recycling.
Learn more about the Imagine Trash initiative or request a waste audit at wmsbf.org/imagine.

Christopher: What Does Sustainability Really Mean?

November 7, 2016/in Columns /by Aaron Bouwkamp

I recently attended several sustainability conferences here in West Michigan and was amazed that a great deal of the introductory discussion still centered on the meaning of sustainability. Yes, sustainability still means many things to many people. One question a CEO raised was whether sustainability meant the use of 100% renewable energy? Another question raised was whether sustainability meant transparency and accountability? Others equate sustainability only with the environment and protecting and restoring our planet. Are all of these perspectives right? Is one viewpoint better than the others? Read more

Christopher: Adding More Sustainability Value to the Bottom Line!

October 4, 2016/in Columns /by Aaron Bouwkamp

Today, businesses and companies alike rely upon financial capital as the main resource for ensuring stability and driving business growth. The primary metrics for evaluating financial performance include measuring cash flow and determining profit on a monthly and yearly basis. Digging a little deeper there are a number of other specific key business performance indicators (KPIs) that companies can select from to monitor and track financial performance. Forbes previously provided a number of financial KPIs for consideration including cash flow from operations, inventory turns, receivables growth vs. sales growth, productivity, on-time deliveries, employee retention, back log, interest rate coverage, and gross margin (1). The Harvard Business Review (HBR) discussed return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and debt leverage as the leading means to determine business performance (2). Small Business reviewed profitability, liquidity, debt, and activity as the primary measurements for business performance (3). So as can be seen, companies and businesses have a number of financial KPIs available to measure business performance. The key is to determine which metrics work best for your organization. Read more

Christopher: Opportunities for Sustainable Investing – The Time has Come!

September 2, 2016/in Columns /by Aaron Bouwkamp

Did you know that in 2014, there was over $21 trillion (T) in global sustainability assets under management worldwide (1)? The amount of these investments has increased rapidly and now surpasses the debt levels of the United States! Moreover, were you aware that $1 out of every $6 invested in the U.S. during 2014 was placed in sustainable investment strategies? These expenditures now total $6.57T according to the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (2). Also, these tracked investments were 75% greater than in 2012 which totaled $3.74T. The growth of sustainable investing is being driven by the increasing demand for organizations to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, as well as the overall desire for improved sustainability performance by shareholders and stakeholders alike. Today investors are also looking to divest specific assets because of sub-par performance. Additionally, investors are shifting to sustainable investment strategies to generate tangible value and growth. The track record of sustainable investing now substantiates their belief! Read more

Christopher: Making Real Sustainability Progress Through Cross Sector Partnerships!

August 8, 2016/in Columns /by Aaron Bouwkamp

All sectors including public, private, service, and academic organizations, are trying to address systemic sustainability issues and concerns within their own area and span of control. Many leaders of these organizations are asking why more collective progress that addresses these issues has not been achieved to date? The reasons are numerous and many times the feedback focuses on silo thinking and not interacting with others that can provide critical input and feedback. We are now at a tipping point with the realization that business, government, NGOs, and academia all need to work together to address and solve our most challenging problems and concerns. The solutions are there with the use of sustainable development best practices, but if we do not work together significant collective progress and impact will not be made. Read more

Norman Christopher: Is “Net Positive” the Next Phase for Sustainability?

July 6, 2016/in Columns /by Aaron Bouwkamp

Companies, organizations, and institutions alike across the private, public, and academic sectors, in many regions such as West Michigan, have all been on a sustainability journey for a number of years. The sustainability journey has gone through various phases including: creating awareness about sustainability; generating understanding about the meaning of sustainability; using the guiding principles and best practices of sustainability in key application areas; determining progress through sustainability reporting; and creating long term value and collective impact for sustainability. Read more

WEBINAR: Economic Impact Potential and Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in Michigan

June 16, 2016/in Columns /by Aaron Bouwkamp

June 29, 2016 1:00 – 2:00 PM
West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum recently partnered with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to conduct a waste audit and economic analysis of the municipal solid waste stream in Michigan. The results of that initiative were recently published by WMSBF in the report titled Solid Waste Characterization and Valuation: Opportunities for Economic and Environmental Impact.
Daniel Schoonmaker, Executive Director of WMSBF will present the project including the process WMSBF used to characterize the municipal solid waste stream, the findings, analysis and recommendations of the report. He will also discuss how municipalities, businesses and community partners are already using the data to support their recycling initiatives and educational goals, including an ambitious campaign launched by Kent County Department of Public Works in direct response to the study. Read more

Michigan Green Labs Webinar

March 23, 2016/in Columns /by Two Fish

Hosted by the DEQ in partnership with the University of Michigan and the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum

March 31, 2016
1:00 – 2:00 PM

The Michigan Green Labs Webinar will cover a successful green labs program at the University of Michigan and examine an initiative to take the University of Michigan model and expand it to business orientated labs. This webinar is geared toward lab professionals, facilities managers, green team leaders, academics, process improvement professionals, and sustainability professionals.

Register today!

Speakers:

Sudhakar G. Reddy, Office of Campus Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Lab operations at the University of Michigan, like many other institutions, consume nearly two-thirds of total energy, providing rich opportunities in saving energy and reducing waste generation. A unique program has been developed by our office to promote and practice sustainable operations in a more standardized way in our labs. The program evaluates specific areas of green chemistry, waste reduction, energy and utilities, green computing, green purchasing, reuse and recycle and treatment and disposal. The state of Michigan has adapted this program and introduced it to other institutions and organizations. To date, we have engaged 150 labs in this unique program and results are encouraging. Specific examples on product substitution, energy conservation, recycling and reuse, along with the benefits of the program will be presented.

Daniel Schoonmaker, Director, West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum

The West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum is working to bring the tactics and strategies developed by University of Michigan and the Michigan Green Labs Initiative (MGLI) to the private sector and local schools and governments. The West Michigan Green Labs pilot was an effort to increase adoption of MGLI protocols within organizations with existing sustainability efforts, reconcile the tools with those available from the International Institute of Sustainable Laboratories, and test the feasibility of the “Certified‐Green Lab” as a marketing and publicity claim that could incentive future adoption. Learn about benefits and challenges encountered by participating organizations and lessons for the program moving forward.

U.S. EPA Sustainable Management of Food Tools

February 12, 2016/in Columns /by Two Fish

The U.S. EPA offers several tools for measuring and tracking the amount, type of, and the source of food and packaging waste. One of the topics discussed at the February Member Meeting.
By using EPA’s food waste assessment tools, food service establishments can:

Save money by reducing over-purchasing and disposal costs
Reduce environmental impacts
Support efforts to eliminate hunger
Increase tax benefits by donating food; and
Support community waste reduction efforts.

The food waste assessment tools start off with a Guide for Conducting and Analyzing a Food Waste Assessment. The guide provides a step by step process. In addition to the guide is a waste calculator, tracking logs, and a Waste Reduction Model tool that can help organizations track and voluntarily report greenhouse gas emissions reductions from several different waste management practices.