Sustainability In Action

Home Savings Bank

Home Savings Bank has just recently introduced a green checking account designed to save paper, plastic, and trips to the bank. The bank builds environmentally friendly buildings and is one of the first companies in the state to have solar lighting. With the construction of a new green office at 3762 East Washington Avenue that will incorporate eco-friendly and energy saving components, Home Savings will become even more sustainable in the community. The building will feature a rain garden, and the construction aim is to recycle 75 percent of construction waste that otherwise would go to a landfill.

Jim Bradley, President of Home Savings Bank, has taken it upon himself to make the company a green institution that sustains itself by reducing its environmental footprint, that is, reducing its impact on the community. Home Savings Bank has done this by offering products that follow The Natural Step, a system designed to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, reduce environmental encroachment, reduce waste, and improve social issues.

Best Cleaners

Best Cleaners, located on 5704 Raymond Road, Madison, Wisconsin, was formed in 1974 by owner John Whitley. From 1974 to 2000, the company used perchloroethylene (perc), which is considered a hazardous and potentially carcinogenic substance, to dry clean clothing. Perc is used by 85% of the drycleaners in the United States and around the world. In addition to contaminating the air, dry cleaners that use perc-based cleaning also contaminate the ground with many hazardous chemicals.

In 2002, Mr. Whitley scrapped his previous dry cleaning process and began using GreenEarth Cleaning. This made Best Cleaners the first dry cleaner in Wisconsin to exclusively use the Green Earth Cleaning technology. John invested over $100,000 into his business to install the environmentally friendly GreenEarth Cleaning system and it has paid off. His company has lowered their operating costs and increased its customer base since changing to GreenEarth Cleaning.

Cascade Assets Management

Cascade Asset Management, located at 6701 Manufacturers Drive, is a national leader in responsible one-stop Information Technology asset disposal. The company was created in 1999 by Neil Peters-Michaud and others to dispose of computers and other electronics in an environmentally friendly manner, rather than dumping them into landfills. In the first six years, Cascade has grown three-thousand percent and now serves more than five hundred companies and institutions across the country.

Cascade sends less than 0.25% of materials they collect to landfills and is currently certified ISO 14001. Cascade is a proud original signer of the “Electronic Recyclers Pledge to True Environmental Stewardship,” a pledge to keep hazardous materials from being dumped into developing countries around the world.

Cedar Grove Cheese

Cedar Grove Cheese, located on East 5904 Mill Road in Plain, Wisconsin, is a small family owned cheese factory that has operated for more than 125 years. Cedar Grove Cheese is using a waste water disposal system called “The Living Machine”, which uses a series of tanks and plants to purify the waste water. Cedar Grove Cheese is the only cheese factory in the nation using this type of waste water purification process.

The Living Machine is a working ecosystem. It mimics the water cleaning power of wetlands, only faster, using natural microbes and hydrophilic plants. The Living Machine comprises 10 tanks. Each tank extends four feet below ground level and holds approximately 2,600 gallons of water. The tanks are connected by four-inch pipes, one foot beneath the ground cover. Gravity causes the water to flow between each of the tanks.