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You can save up to 8 gallons of water a day by turning off the tap while you brush your teeth.

Think of all the water we could save if our entire family turned off the tap while brushing our teeth! Cool Choices provides simple tips to become more sustainable in your everyday life.

For more water saving tips check out these links:

EPA Water Sense

Conserve Water At Home

Only change is constant.

Humans have acknowledged this since Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, in 500 BC. And yet we’re still surprised and discombobulated by the unexpected.

We’ve been talking a lot about change since the US Presidential election. After a year of important international progress on climate action, the US seems poised to pivot back into inaction, at least at the federal government level.

When friends ask me if Trump’s election means the end to our work at Cool Choices I am clear: “Definitely not!” I explain that the entities we work with see bottom-line benefits in sustainability. Saving resources reduces operating costs, which increases profitability. Customers prefer companies that demonstrate good stewardship and increasingly shareholders do too, because it mitigates risk. Being sustainable also helps companies recruit and retain top talent, an issue that will affect more and more industries in the coming decade. While the international agreements are critical, I explain, much of the current action—at least in the US—is spurred by self-interest.

When friends ask me if Trump’s election means the end to our work at Cool Choices I am clear: “Definitely not!”

It makes sense to minimize wasted resources regardless of who is president. And companies will continue to compete for customers and skilled employees too. As a result, leading entities will continue to look for ways to engage their employees around corporate sustainability initiatives and Cool Choices will continue to offer fun, social and easy strategies that make sustainability the new normal.

Cool Choices was privileged to work with a variety of leading companies in 2016 and we look forward to more amazing partnerships in 2017.

Cool Choices employees feel fortunate that we are able to interact with such amazing companies in their sustainability efforts. As an organization uses the Cool Choices online sustainability game, we are encouraged and moved by the competition and passion that is displayed by individuals in the game. We chose some of our favorite moments from 2016 programs that we’d like to highlight!

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Employees at Franklin Energy are in week 5 of their 6-week game-based sustainability program and we’re impressed by Franklin Energy employees’ commitment to sustainability. Competing as teams, they’ve taken more than 3,700 sustainable actions to earn points and win prizes.

The vast majority of Franklin participants, for example, were able to claim points for making the cool choice to “replace 85% of household incandescent bulbs with LEDs.”  Other sustainable actions in the Cool Choices program include carpooling, eating meatless meals, using the stairs instead of the elevator and many more.

“I’m not surprised that Franklin staff are fast accumulating points for their cool choices,” said Kathy Kuntz, executive director of Cool Choices. “Franklin Energy has been a consistent advocate for energy efficiency for more than two decades and it’s clear that Franklin staff walk that talk. It will be interesting to see—after the game—how Franklin’s savings compare to other entities.”

Participants in Cool Choices can claim points for both new actions and the behaviors participants were already doing before the game. After every program ends Cool Choices staff provide a summary of estimated program impacts that delineates new savings separate from savings associated with existing actions.

“We have a highly engaged team at Franklin,” said Dan Tarrence, Executive Vice President “and it’s been fun to see folks competing around sustainability. Cool Choices really makes being green fun and social.”

The Cool Choices team sends our encouragement to Franklin Energy employees as their sustainable actions continue to add up in the final stretch of their game.

October is Energy Action Month!

Here are some handy resources to help you get involved:

• About Energy Action Month
• Office, Home & Facility checklists to save energy.
• Energy-themed social media graphics. See below & share!
• Follow Cooll Choices on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to get tips for energy saving actions!

Right click an image to open in a new tab or save to your computer.

Cool Choices welcomes hundreds of Follett Corporation team members as they prepare to kick off their 6-week game-based sustainability program designed to create a buzz around being green at work and at home.

Follett team members will form teams of 6 and compete to take the greatest number of sustainable actions. Starting October 24^th, participants at Follett will earn points for their teams and win prizes by reporting their daily sustainable actions online, including saving fuel and energy, recycling, choosing meatless meals and conserving water.

Founded in 1873, Follett currently works with 70,000 PreK-12 schools and higher education institutions as a leading provider of education technology, services and print and digital content. Follett demonstrates a strong commitment to the communities they serve and to various corporate social responsibility initiatives. For example, Follett promotes good in global communities through its campus store partnerships with Alta Gracia, a clothing brand known for its implementation of a living wage in the Dominican Republic, and the Thirst Project, a water non-profit founded and fueled by students. Additionally, Follett promotes educational innovation and a love of learning through its partnership with Reading is Fundamental and annual hosting of the Follett Challenge.

Once again, the Cool Choices team sends out a warm welcome to Follett team members!

Cool Choices alumni continue to inspire us with the sustainability actions they’ve taken since taking part in our program. This month we were impressed by Kristin’s story about her volunteer work at a local nature preserve.

What green activities have you been up to since taking part in the Cool Choices program?

I planted native plants around the edges of a wood, pulled invasive species and mulched trails to prevent run off from rain.

Do you have any tips for others trying to be sustainable?

Look into volunteer opportunities with your local nature preserve!

Kristin took part in the Madison, WI city-wide Cool Choices online sustainability game in 2015.

We extend our congratulations to UW Health employees on completing their customized Cool Choices employee engagement program!

Click image to see full size.

Check out how employees boosted sustainability efforts at UW Health!

• Nearly 180 teams of employees from UW Health participated in the Cool Choices sustainability and wellness program.
• Over 60 UW Health locations competed. They formed teams of 5 to log their sustainable actions online every day for 8 weeks.
• UW Health participants worked together to take more than 44,400 sustainable actions that save money and help the environment.

In their game, UW Health employees achieved estimated savings of $253,365. The participants logged actions that will save 3,498,037 gallons (5 Olympic sized swimming pools) of water annually and avoid 2,613,589 lbs (1,034 car trips from LA to NYC) of CO2.

During the game UW Health employees shared 1,725 sustainable ideas. These suggestions can be implemented to save money and energy.

“By adopting sustainable practices UW Health employees save money at work and at home while improving their personal wellness and reducing environmental impacts,” noted Kathy Kuntz, Executive Director at Cool Choices.

Thanks UW Health employees, your engagement and dedication are very inspiring!

Emily plants a peach tree in Madison for her business, Emily Plants, LLC.

Past players of the Cool Choices game-based sustainability program continue to make green choices in their everyday lives even after the program ends. We are always impressed to learn how participating in Cool Choices impacts individuals and their decisions to take further sustainable actions. This month we were inspired by Emily’s story!

What green activities have you been up to since taking part in the Cool Choices program?

I have started my own edible landscaping business. I am encouraging people to plant more pollinator-friendly, edible, and native plants.

What tips do you have for others trying to be sustainable?

Just plant something! The best way to learn is by doing, so get growing!

Emily took part in the 2015 City Wide Cool Choices game in Madison, WI.

Cool Choices is delighted to partner with the City of Tallahassee, a leader in community-level sustainability, as evidenced by their GreenPrint plan for sustainability.

Tallahassee city employees will utilize a customized version of the Cool Choices platform to accelerate progress on their sustainability objectives. For 8 weeks, participants will compete and interact online by reporting daily actions that reduce resource consumption, protect the environment and make city operations more efficient.

The Cool Choices online platform allows our partners to create a branded experience that meets specific sustainability objectives. We collaborated with Tallahassee officials to customize the platform so that it mirrors the existing Tallahassee GreenPrint framework. Daily actions in the Cool Choices game reflect the priorities Tallahassee set in its plan, which maximizes engagement in and awareness of existing Tallahassee GreenPrint sustainability initiatives.

“The game-based approach engages staff around sustainability goals, but also allows the City of Tallahassee to track and measure savings and engagement results. Tallahassee’s efforts are consistent with how private industry is engaging employees; numerous studies show that engaged employees deliver value and facilitate innovation,” said Kathy Kuntz, Executive Director of Cool Choices.

Welcome City of Tallahassee staff! We can’t wait to see the impact you’ll make during your 8-week customized Cool Choices sustainability program.