Hello All!
It’s Grant and Shelby, the Smart Business Challenge Interns! In starting off the spring semester, we are excited to share highlights from this year’s Smart Business Challenge Recognition Luncheon.
On January 23, 2024 the City of Ames celebrated its seventh annual Smart Business Challenge Recognition Luncheon. This event is held every year to celebrate the advancements local businesses have made within the Challenge.
The Smart Business Challenge is a program designed to encourage and celebrate advancements businesses are doing to become environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. This can be as simple as installing low flow faucets to as complex as creating a system to recycle as much waste as possible in a production system. To facilitate this, each business must certify by going through a checklist containing different sustainability categories such as energy efficiency, indoor and outdoor environment, purchasing, customer relations and community relations. Based on the business’ implementation of education and awareness, practices and procedures, policies and standards or actions above and beyond what is outlined in each category, businesses can achieve certification as either a bronze, silver, gold or platinum certified business. Every three years, after their initial certification, businesses complete recertification to recognize any additions and enhancements within checklist categories.
In attending the Luncheon, participants were encouraged to network with the variety of city departments and community partners in attendance. An open house at the beginning of the event offered businesses the opportunity to become familiar with programs and resources to assist them with their sustainability goals and initiatives. City departments and community partners attending included – City of Ames Electric Services, City of Ames Public Works, City of Ames Parks and Recreation and the Iowa Waste Exchange. Following the resource fair, attendees were treated to lunch, catered by one of our Challenge members, Wheatsfield Cooperative.
Then our program began. There were many wonderfully informative speakers this year! Our keynote speaker was Shelene Codner, Coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Iowa Waste Exchange Program. Shelene talked about the Iowa Waste Exchange’s resources and connections in assisting business (free and confidentially) in reducing their waste streams, as well as finding outlets for items that are considered waste by one business or organization, but can be a resource for another.
As part of Shelene’s presentation, she invited one of our member platinum certified businesses, Barilla, to share their story of connecting with her and the Iowa Waste Exchange to find an outlet for over 500 gallons of isopropyl alcohol that was approaching its expiration date and could no longer be used for sanitizing purposes.
Shelene also discussed the Iowa Department of Natural Resouces’ Food Storage Capacity Grant Program. This is a recent financial assistance program, focused on assisting food pantries and similar programs in need of refrigerators, freezers, and shelving units to be able to accept, store and provide more food resources to communities and individuals in need.
Additional speakers were Bill Schmitt, Superintendent for the City of Ames Resource Recovery System and Don Kom, Director of the City of Ames Electric Department.
Bill highlighted initiatives such as Rummage Rampage that assist in promoting sustainable waste management and diversion. Bill also discussed the City of Ames’ new multi-commodity drop off recycling program, available to Ames residents. The new program offers recycling collection for metal, mixed paper, screw-top plastics, carboard and glass – as well as food waste collection. The recycling (and food waste) collection bins are accessible 24/7 and located outside the northeast corner of the Resource Recovery Plant, 420 E. 2nd St.
As part of his presentation, Bill offered tips on Recycling Dos and Don’ts.
Don led an engaging discussion with businesses in attendance surrounding efficient energy consumption and community services related to customer utility resources. He also talked about electricity generation in Ames, the mix of energy sources used, and plans for the future of the Electric Department.
We also had the opportunity to offer highlights too, related to the Smart Business Challenge and our internship work. Since this is the 10 year anniversary of the Smart Business Challenge, we wanted to highlight the accomplishments of the past decade. Since the program’s founding, 50 different businesses have been part of the Challenge. From those businesses, 36 certifications were completed and 18 re-certifications accomplished.
We also shared the current numbers concerning membership and certification levels, highlighting our current 33 members with the majority having achieved platinum certification.
Updates of our internship work was highlighted by announcing the creation of a new checklist, that will be gradually implemented as new businesses certify and existing businesses recertify. This new checklist offers two significant benefits to members – streamlining the certification and recertification process and adjusting checklist scoring to only include categories applicable to the certifying business – more effectively reflecting the categories they actually have control over in enhancing and making changes. For example, a business who rents a building rather than owning it may not be able to make changes to the HVAC system toward increased efficiencies. And a business that rents space within a building may also not be able to have impact in water usage and outdoor watering and chemical use. Instead, of being scored based on all of the categories, they will be scored and certified based on only the categories they have the possibility to affect.
Other internship work updates included adding more business-specific sustainability resources to the Smart Business Challenge website. These include an all-in-one document that contains links and descriptions of all the business-applicable resources and rebates offered by the City of Ames – including a link to the Bird Friendly Iowa website (and how to support the City of Ames’ Bird Friendly City certification). Coming Soon! A case studies webpage – covering a variety of different topics related to businesses implementing, testing and piloting sustainable actions. We are looking forward to continuing to add even more helpful information for our businesses in the future!
An especially celebratory event highlight, was recognizing numerous community businesses making sustainability commitments and impacts.
Jon Wilson Photography was featured for recently joining the Challenge and undergoing their initial certification.
New certifications, achieved during the past year, were also featured including Hastings & Gartin Law Group at gold, Iowa Home Crafters at silver and Nelson Electric at platinum.
Businesses achieving recertifications, which are completed every three years, were also honored. KHOI and Ron’s Auto Repair both received their second silver recertification. Jax Outdoor Gear recertified from silver to gold. Worldly Goods recertified from gold to platinum. 3M, Barilla and Mary Greeley Medical Center received their second platinum certifications and McFarland Clinic and Morning Bell Coffee Roasters both achieved their third platinum certification.
It has been a very productive and celebratory year for the Smart Business Challenge as we celebrate 10 years. We are so excited to see what Challenge members accomplish in 2024!
For more information about the Smart Business Challenge, the Challenge participants, or how to sign-up, visit the Smart Business Challenge webpage on the City of Ames website. You can also reach out to us with any questions, or if you have a favorite business you think would be a great addition to the Challenge, by emailing amessbc@cityofames.org.
Live Green! 