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Wednesday, February 25, 2015 08:00 PM

 

ALCC Sustainable Landscape PartnersHave you ever found it ironic that within what is truly the world’s first and foremost “green” industry that “going green” isn’t just assumed? Maybe that is because the proverbial “going green” means many things to many people – and to many landscape businesses.

For some, simply getting the turf down green side up and as quickly as it can be done is their high-powered version of going green. For others, it’s salvaging, saving and repurposing every possible bit of material on a job site.

In between, where most companies are likely to live is the ah-hah moment when they realize that going green is just what they do during the course of business and they haven’t bothered to label it “green,” “sustainable” or anything else. And why does it matter, anyway?

When asked if they believe in conserving water or other natural resources, most industry people are on board. Most customers care about their water bills and most companies don’t like to spend more money than they have to at the gas pump. Those external and internal forces push conservation.

Now, however, sustainability is a growing trend in the world we live in and one that the original green industry might consider embracing more formally. If honoring the environment, being conservation minded and caring about the ongoing viability of the built landscape are in your mission or your vision, maybe it’s time to explore what this sustainability effort might mean for you and your business.

The starting point that ALCC’s Sustainable Partners task force came upon is that sustainability is NOT an all-or-nothing proposition. Everyone has their own take on sustainability based on what they are now doing, what they are able to do and what they might want to do. That’s the starting point for ALCC’s Sustainable Landscape Partner program. Where you take it from there is up to you and your business. Among the partners, there are businesses headed in many directions, but they all end up at some form of environmental stewardship.

ALCC’s Sustainable Partners Program exists to help companies develop their own brand of stewardship, provide chances to learn and share with one another – and also take your sustainable steps more effectively into the marketplace that cares more about stewardship than ever before.

This year, we’ve taken the training from 1 event to 5 – and 2 training sessions are offered in English in Spanish. See what’s underway already this week on the March Calendar of Events – and learn more about the 2015 Sustainable Landscape Partners program.

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
Two companies share what they learned from DOL audits
7 Steps to Strategic Success in 2015
Are you using ALCC’s FREE classified ads?
Cell phone liability extends to employers