Blog

Cool Choices alumni are always inspiring us with how they continue to take sustainable actions after participating in our online sustainability program. This month we were impressed by the awesome things Tara is doing at work and at home.

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

Personally, I now carry a stainless steel coffee cup and a plastic tumbler with a lid and a straw in my car so that when I get a cup of coffee or a fountain drink I do not have to use a disposable cup. All gas stations accept it and fast food restaurants are okay with it if you don’t go through the drive-thru. Sometime I get funny looks, especially at fast food restaurants, but I am comfortable with my decision to eliminate the use of bottles and cups that are going to be thrown away.

Professionally, I have been able to get a recycling receptacle in our R&D test kitchen. 100% of the waste generated in the kitchen is now sorted properly. I have found that we had to make it easier than just throwing everything in the trash.

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

Look at your kids and determine if the world you leave for them is the world you want them to have.

Tara took part in the Cool Choices online sustainability game in 2014 with West Liberty Foods. Inspired by Tara’s story? Remember, you can make a difference!

Cool Choices alumni continue to take sustainable actions that inspire their work, home, and community. We were impressed by the cool things Sarah has been up to since taking part in our online sustainability program.

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

Since the game, I’ve continued commuting to work by bus every day, using compact fluorescent light bulbs (looking into LEDs), and using a reusable water bottle. It’s got BB-8 on it, and I’m thrilled — if you’re going to be using one every day why not make it fun? I’m also planning on starting an herb garden in my apartment, something I can use on a regular basis and something my cat will also enjoy (I’m hoping to find some peppermint plants at the farmer’s market).

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

My tip is to start small; don’t try to make a ton of changes at once or you’ll drive yourself crazy. Pick one thing, get adjusted to it, and then make another change.

Sarah took part in the 2015 city wide Cool Choices game in Madison, WI.

Kenosha County is the southeastern most county in Wisconsin with a history of a strong commitment to advancing county-­wide sustainability goals. Cool Choices was a natural fit and the results are impressive.

With the support of County Executive Jim Kreuser, Kenosha County staff recently wrapped up their 6­-week implementation of the Cool Choices online sustainability game; they made significant and inspiring impacts during their program. Teams of 8 earned points and won prizes for reporting their daily sustainable actions, including recycling, carpooling, saving fuel, choosing meatless meals, and conserving water.

In their game, participants from Kenosha County reported over 7,400 sustainable actions and achieved estimated savings of over $67,000.

Cool Choices inspired our office to start a worm compost project! – Tedi W.

The game also prompted some employees to start a worm compost project! How cool is that?!

“Kenosha County wants to help employees save money and live more sustainably. At Cool Choices we also recognize the changes staff make at the municipal level have the potential to impact all of southeast Wisconsin. Cool Choices is excited about this partnership with Kenosha County because of the positive change it has inspired in employees and residents of the region,” noted Raj Shukla, Director of Programs at Cool Choices.

Once again, the Cool Choices team sends our congrats to Kenosha County employees!

Photo courtesy of Monica S. – 2016

Cool Choices alumni take their sustainable actions seriously, and that means they continue to inspire us with their sustainability stories even after the program is over. This month we were impressed with Monica’s story about how she has made cool choices within her community!

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

The 4th grade boy next door, Matthew, and I are going to plant a tree together. His family’s landlord doesn’t want a tree planted on his lot, so Matthew and I will decide on a spot in my yard that is lonely for a tree. Temporarily the sapling is in a pot filled with dirt and compost from my compost maker (which I share with his family for their vegetable garden).

Talk about inspiring community engagement around sustainability! Monica took part in the Cool Choices online sustainability game in 2016 with Outpost Natural Foods.

This summer 15,000+ employees at UW Health will be invited to take a unique approach to being green and staying well. Staff will participate in a customized Cool Choices 8-week sustainability and wellness program by forming teams and competing daily to log their sustainable actions online.

Participants can expect to save money and reduce their energy use, while also learning new ways to be green. The online game-based platform also collects great ideas from employees on greening the workplace; this means front-line employees can help identify specific and creative saving opportunities.

Shannon Bunsen Sustainability Specialist, UW Health

“We’re excited to try this new way of getting staff at UW Health engaged in sustainability and thinking about what it means in the context of healthcare. Cool Choices will give us an opportunity to build social capital around shared sustainability experiences and ideas,” said Shannon Bunsen, Sustainability Specialist, at UW Health.  

“Our Green STEPS and Wellness programs are very focused on the impact of individual behavior change, building teams and creating social norms with healthy, sustainable actions,” said Ellen Houston, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, UW Health. UW Health is customizing their Cool Choices implementation to highlight the link between wellness and sustainability. UW Health staff will be encouraged to adopt practices that are both good for the planet and good for employee wellbeing.

“Folks recognize that a number of sustainable practices—biking, taking the stairs vs. the elevator, and eating less red meat—also have very clear health benefits. Broader practices—like reducing energy and water use, managing waste streams, etc.—also affect our overall wellbeing,” noted Kathy Kuntz, Executive Director of Cool Choices, “so it’s terrific that UW Health is engaging its employees around these practices that affect wellness both directly and indirectly. A leader in healthcare, UW Health is also taking leadership on environmental responsibility. Cool Choices is delighted to be able to help them experiment with a fun and social model.”

UW Health has a dedicated history of environmental responsibility that includes a focus on patient and employee wellness. Recent initiatives include blue sterile wrap and plastic film recycling, new BCycle docking stations and the addition of a Farmers Market at the University Hospital. Learn more about UW Health’s deep commitment to a healthy environment here.

The Cool Choices team welcomes UW Health employees! We’re looking forward to seeing the momentum you’ll achieve and impact you’ll make during your 8-week program.

Curious about how our program could work for you? Watch our fun 40-second video to learn more!

Experts estimate that about 25% of your trash is organic material that can be composted.

If you eat lots of fruits and veggies, you could even have more! With the right information, composting can be a simple, yet important, step you can take to be more green.

Check out these links for more composting information:

• EPA Composting Basics
• WI DNR Composting Guide
• Compost at Home

Photo courtesy of Jeanne H. – 2016

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 Jeanne’s story of how her office has taken green to the next level!

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

In our display garden outside our office we repurposed household items for use in the garden. Old plates were purchased at the local resale shop & used to edge raised beds; used hangers from the same resale shop were wired together to create a trellis; an old rattan chair frame was used for a container garden.

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

Purchasing items from resale shops (which usually are run by nonprofit organizations) helps out the community. With a little bit of creativity, these inexpensive items can find a new purpose. It’s a great way to be sustainable.

Jeanne took part in the Cool Choices online sustainability game in 2013 with UW Extension. Inspire by Jeanne’s story? You can make a difference too! Cool Choices is creating a new platform, Connected, where Cool Choices alumni can inspire others by sharing their sustainability stories. More details coming soon!

The FCA US Belvidere Assembly Plant (Ill.) wants to make caring for the environment “cool.”

Cool Choices is delighted to partner with the Belvidere Assembly Plant to promote environmental awareness through employee engagement. Employees who register to participate individually or as a team earn points by making “cool choices” that reduce resource consumption, protect the environment and make operations more efficient. While making decisions to improve the environmental footprint of the plant, employees can cheer on, coach and learn from one another.

“We’re excited that Cool Choices offers a unique way to get our employees interested in sustainability, whether it be at the plant or at home,” said Michael Keefe, Belvidere’s Environment Pillar Lead. “Through the Cool Choices game, we can inspire action at the plant, then measure the energy savings associated with those actions. The game will help us meet our aggressive savings targets.”

Cool Choices has customized our platform for the Belvidere plant to maximize in-plant savings and engagement around existing initiatives. Participating takes only takes a few minutes a day. Each card conveys specific actions that can be taken to help the environment. Individuals and teams can win prizes for earning the most points.

“The Belvidere team has aggressively pursued opportunities to reduce operating costs; we are excited to work with them to increase staff engagement around efficiency and sustainability,” said Kathy Kuntz, Executive Director, Cool Choices.

As a further example of Belvidere’s commitment to environmental responsibility, last November, Belvidere launched a recycling program with assistance from PepsiCo Recycling to make recycling more convenient for its employees and help support disabled U.S. veterans. Through the PepsiCo Recycling program, recycling bins were located throughout the Belvidere plant. The materials collected in the bins help support PepsiCo Recycling’s partnership with the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), which provides training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities. More than 250,000 bottles and cans were recycled from the plant in three months.

The Cool Choices team would like to welcome Belvidere employees! We look forward to the impact your teams will make as part of the Cool Choices community!

Photo courtesy of Tina C. – 2016

To highlight the cool things our alums do after taking part in the Cool Choices online sustainability game, we’ll be sharing monthly stories submitted by past participants. Our alumni always impress us by taking sustainable practices to the next level.

This month we were inspired by Tina’s sweet story of working together with her granddaughter…

What green activities have you been up to since taking part in the Cool Choices program?
When I take my granddaughter to the park we go around and pick up trash after we are done playing to help our earth stay clean!

Do you have any tips for others trying to be sustainable?
We make it into a game! Always teach your kids about the importance of our planet, it’s our home and it’s up to us to take care of it.

Tina took part in the Cool Choices online sustainability game in 2014 with Outagamie County. Inspired by Tina’s sustainability story? Remember, you can make a difference! Cool Choices is creating a new platform, Connected, where our Cool Choices alumni can share their sustainability stories and inspire others. We’ll share more details about Connected soon!

Cool Choices is enthusiastic about a new partnership with ComEd, an electric utility that provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers in Illinois.

ComEd is recognized for their commitment to the environment and this week they’re launching the Cool Choices 8-week employee engagement sustainability program. ComEd employees will take a few minutes each day to compete as teams to report the greatest number of sustainable actions.

The Cool Choices online platform and game is customized and branded specifically for ComEd’s implementation to increase engagement in and awareness of company-wide sustainability initiatives.

“ComEd understands the challenges in engaging people around sustainability–this is a quest they tackle every day. We are delighted to be able to help them experiment with a fun and social model,” said Kathy Kuntz, Executive Director of Cool Choices.

Welcome ComEd staff! We know you’ll have fun, save money and take sustainable actions that have a measurable impact in your game of Cool Choices.