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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m F e b r u a r y 2 0 14 • I nsIgh t | 13 other partners were key players, as well: » Menasha Corporation donated the portable and reusable compost bins to collect the waste. » UW–oshkosh granted special permission for post-consumer compostable food waste to go to its anaerobic biodigester so the energy could be harvested before it became compost. typically, the biodigester's sources are industrial/agricultural businesses and grocery stores. » sanimax, a north American recycler with operations in green Bay, donated a dumpster for the compost, acquired bin liners that work well in the digester and transported the waste to oshkosh. e result? More than three- quarters of waste generated at the event was diverted from the landfill, resulting in less than two ounces of waste per attendee. here are some of the other dimensions the team addressed: » Paper. guidelines required it to be sustainably forested and to include post-consumer waste content. » Handouts were expected to be either recyclable or durable and reusable. ninety-three percent fit the former category and the rest of the items were reusable. » Refreshments were chosen to minimize packaging and disposable waste. » Local sourcing. eighty-six percent of business suppliers were locally-owned or regional. » Food entrepreneurs. Businesses involved in the taste of the new north luncheon were asked to use biodegradable and compostable serve- ware that is certified through the Biodegradable Products Institute. » Signage. Foam-core boards used for way-finding and session identification were donated to Mosquito hill nature Center to be re-used for event and fundraising signage. » Power-down policy. A conscious effort was made to power down electronic equipment and lighting when it was not being used. » Green transportation. organizers had hoped to encourage attendees to carpool or use public transportation. at plan hit a snag, however, when the city bus route serving the radisson was discontinued in early november. A survey is being conducted to determine the impact of ride-sharing, and organizers are already considering ways to build awareness of and create tools to improve this dimension for next year. Another interesting dimension was the collaboration with the "sustainability as a Business strategy" class at Fox Valley technical College, composed of 18 students from seven Central American countries studying environmental technology and sustainability under a scholarship program of the U.s. state Department's Agency for International Development. e students helped develop the plan and volunteered at the summit waste stations to direct people to put their waste in the right place. In turn, the students were invited to hear speakers and meet business leaders. Jaime godoy, a second-year student from santa Ana, el salvador, was spokesperson for the class at the summit's sustainability break-out session. "It was a great opportunity for us to see what Wisconsin businesses are doing and how important is sustainability for them," godoy said. "We met a lot of people from different businesses, and they were really interested on what we were doing with recycling and compostable things." F ounded in 2012 by Joanne Gorski, green manufacturing specialist Specializes in sustainability planning, supply chain management, waste audits, ISO 14001 audits (environmental management systems), greening events and venues, employee engagement initiatives. On the web: www.sustainableinsightsllc.com Sustainable Insights, LLC APPLETON 800 - 622 - 3353 www.anixter.com • networking • connectivity • control • security • power supplies and protection • support and supplies • supply chain solutions Industrial Communications and Control Solutions 920.751.4200 \ www.mcmgrp.com McMahon One Company. Countless Solutions.