Tacoma-based design firm BCRA has significantly reduced its printing costs by using iPads to store marketing materials, drawings and virtual prints for use in offsite meetings. (Courtesy of Stuart Young)
In today’s less-than-stellar economy, businesses are working harder than ever to improve their bottom line, and a new organization in Tacoma is helping its members do just that – by going green.
The Environmental Business Alliance (EB Alliance), formed through a partnership among the Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, Citizens for a Healthy Bay, Go Local and the City of Tacoma, seeks to connect member organizations with the resources they need to implement sustainable business practices in their own operations.
The EB Alliance, as an offshoot of Tacoma ACTS (Alliance for Clean Technology and Sustainability), helps promote member businesses as organizations that place a high value on sustainability.
“It’s important to help promote these businesses in the community, because residents want to know who they are,” said City of Tacoma Sustainability Manager Kristi Lynett. “If people are going to be spending their money, they want to be sure that they’re not hurting the environment in the process.”
There is no fee to join the EB Alliance, but members are initially asked to take a pledge to reduce their impact on the environment. From there, members are encouraged to take their efforts to the next level by participating in a free, confidential on-site assessment by Citizens for a Healthy Bay to evaluate existing sustainable business practices.
Members can also estimate their environmental impact by using a carbon calculator that takes into consideration data such as facility energy usage and how employees commute to and from work.
“It’s our goal to help companies find the resources to become even more sustainable,” said David Schroedel, metropolitan development manager for the Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber. “But, it’s also important that people understand that going green is not always about spending money. There is usually something small that a business can do that may improve their bottom line.”
Tacoma-based design firm BCRA has long held sustainability at the forefront of its operations, and for good reason – the company regularly helps clients create their own sustainable projects.
As a former member of Tacoma ACTS and active participant in the EB Alliance, the company has made several other small-scale changes to become even more sustainable.
“We looked at the tangibles, such as our purchasing practices to evaluate the recycled content of certain products,” said Principal Dale Anderson. “Some changes we made were as simple as removing vending machines and offering more nutritious food to our employees.”
The company is relying more and more on technology, organizing virtual meetings to reduce travel costs. The firm also purchased iPads to store virtual drawings, marketing materials and other documents to cut down on costs while reducing environmental impact.
“We’re involved in so many sustainable projects for our own clients that we wanted to set a good example ourselves,” said Principal Stuart Young. “Using iPads has allows us to be a good steward of our resources while saving money at the same time.”
For more information about the EB Alliance, visit www.eb-alliance.org.
