Community Corner
Go Green Wilmette Promotes Environmentally Responsible Businesses
Go Green Wilmette wants to know what Wilmette businesses are doing to reduce their carbon footprint so that they can tell everyone in the Village.
Go Green Wilmette is sponsoring a free kickoff reception for the Business Partners for a Greener Wilmette campaign on Sept. 23 at Mallinckrodt Community Center in Wilmette. The reception will promote those businesses and not-for profit organizations that have undertaken significant environmentally responsible initiatives.
“Part of Go Green Wilmette’s mission is to inspire people to take action to make a difference. We think the initiatives of these businesses will provide inspiration for the whole community, so we want to applaud their efforts and tell the whole community about them,” explained Beth Drucker, president of Go Green Wilmette.
GGW’s Margaret Martin-Heaton, who heads the Business Partners for a Greener Wilmette campaign added, “This began as an effort to encourage and recognize businesses that sign up for the Village’s 100% Renewable Electricity program. 200 businesses in the Village are eligible. Vernon Wiley of Comix Gallery signed up and said it just took seconds to do. We want to hear from other businesses that have done it too, and we think the community should know about these initiatives.”
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She also said that many businesses that are not eligible for the 100% Renewable Electricity program have done other cool things that are both good for the environment and also save them a lot of money - like the 100% Renewable Electricity option. “These aren’t the sorts of things that are obvious, but these individual choices are key to the future health of the planet.
For example, Northwest Passage is moving towards a paperless office and application process, both Millen Hardware and Adam’s Electric Co. put in new light fixtures to use the newer low wattage bulbs throughout their buildings, and Artisanal, the newest shop on Linden Ave., installed LED inside and out. The owners and employees we spoke with all said going green makes good business sense, because reducing their use of electricity and other resources also saves them money.”
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The three most important steps businesses can take to reduce their carbon footprints are spotlighted in the campaign: Buying electricity from Sources that Support Green Energy, Recycling Business Trash, and Reducing Consumption of Energy and other Resources.
The free reception and award presentations will be held at Mallinckrodt Community Center, 1041A Ridge Rd., Wilmette, on Sept. 23rd from 1:30 to 3:00. Qualifying businesses will be listed on Go Green Wilmette’s website and Facebook page and in newsletters. They will also receive a certificate and a medallion for their web pages to certify that they are Business Partners for a Greener Wilmette.
To find out more about the campaign and how your business can qualify, see www.gogreenwilmette.org or enquire at info@gogreenwilmette.org.
