People & Planet Award
People & Planet Award for Green Businesses
Since 2012, our People & Planet Award has recognized outstanding small businesses with deep commitments to social justice and environmental sustainability. This project has been made possible thanks to a special donor committed to giving a boost to innovative entrepreneurs. The People & Planet Award has bestowed over $300,000 on green businesses since its inception. We are pleased to recognize the winners in the final award cycle.Â
Following nominations by the public, our top five business nominees for the Award each quarter are determined by our volunteer panel of judges: Justin Conway, Calvert Impact Capital; Tess O’Brien, Clean Power Perks; Erlene Howard, Collective Resource, Inc.; Dale Luckwitz, Happsy.com; Jonathan Reinbold, Organic Valley; Martin Wolf, Seventh Generation; and Scott Kitson, Beth Porter and Fran Teplitz of Green America.
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Thank you to all who have nominated and voted for businesses to win the award over the past several years, and thank you to all the great businesses innovating and pioneering to be sustainable and just for all.Â
Winners' Gallery
Fall 2019
Best of the Green Economy
Fall 2019
Best of the Green Economy
Bennett Compost’s goal is to make composting easy and accessible for households and businesses in the Philadelphia area. Currently, Bennett Compost picks up from 2000+ households and businesses every week, keeping over 52 tons of material out of the landfill every month.
The average person throws out over 1600 lbs of "garbage" each year. Bennett's composters throw out half of that.Â
Food and landfills don't mix. Food scraps emit greenhouse gasses when they're sent to the city dump and left to rot. According to the UN, over 30% of the food we grow winds up in landfills, contributing to over 8% of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Â
Bennett Compost keeps these organics out of landfills and recycle them into compost just as nature…
Planted Table is the first zero waste meal delivery service the San Francisco Bay Area. Not only do they deliver meals in reusable glass containers, but they also work out deals with farmers and food suppliers to not deliver anything that comes in single-use plastic and to take back the boxes they deliver the food in so they can reuse them. They volunteer teaching zero waste practices to local school children and any unused food gets donated to local homeless shelters. All food is vegan.
Launched in early 2018, Planted Table is spearheaded by two sisters who wanted to make a heart-healthy, organic plant-based diet more accessible to everyone. The meal delivery service offers meals packaged in glass containers. Instead of encouraging…
Spring 2019
Plastic Alternatives
Spring 2019
Plastic Alternatives
Bee's Wrap, the product, started with a question: Could we find a better way to store food, without the waste and without the plastic?
The solution we discovered is as beautiful as it is simple. Bee’s Wrap makes washable, reusable — and ultimately, fully biodegradable — food storage wraps, handcrafted in Vermont from just four natural ingredients: GOTS-certified organic cotton, sustainably harvested beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin.
Wrap cheese, half a lemon, a crusty loaf of bread, and fruits and vegetables. Cover a bowl, or pack a snack for your next adventure.
Bee's Wrap, the company, poses another question: Can we find a better way to build a business?
Our mission is to use our work, and the best manufacturing practices…
bioDOGradable Bags is a US brand of USDA certified bio-based, 1non-PLA/non-PE compostable bags which has been leading the way in innovative sustainable material technology in efforts to aid in the movement on reducing plastic bag pollution. With products made in the USA by its parent company; beyond GREEN, LLC., bioDOGradable has been able to provide consumers with quality-controlled pet waste bags and dispensers along with its cutting edge composters to aid in environmental and social goals and needs. bioDOGradable’s mission is to prevent plastic pollution by providing products which are an alternative to plastics while reducing the current global plastic pollution by working with non-profits to help fund plastic pollution clean-up…
Fall 2018
Green Home
Fall 2018
Green Home
Eutree is a boutique lumber supplier and sawmill revolutionizing the way flooring and hardwood products are sourced, processed and supplied. Their timber isn't logged out of forests. Instead, they help urban tree services divert beautiful hardwood specimens from becoming waste. That's why they call their products "Forest Free" (to qualify as Forest Free a tree must have been removed for a reason other than its lumber).
Nature’s Magic is an Athens, Ohio-based, woman-owned small business. They develop plant-based, non-toxic cleaning products as a holistic alternative to conventional cleaners. It first began as a residential and commercial cleaning business in 2008. Founder, Danielle Young wanted to provide a truly green cleaning service, but quickly realized a gap in the natural cleaner market, so she set out to make her own.
Spring 2018
Creativity
Spring 2018
Creativity
Matr Boomie is a leading fair trade wholesaler and innovator in ethical, sustainable business. Founded in 2006, the company partners with grassroots organizations in India to transform unskilled women and men into master artisans. Matr Boomie is committed to fair trade, meaning that the business encompasses principles such as anti-slave, anti-child labor; environmentally-friendly processes; fair, living wages; healthy work environment; gender equality; and transparency. Matr Boomie also invests in development projects for economically marginalized people.
Organic Cotton Plus produces beautiful 100% organic fabric for small businesses and individuals committed to people and the planet. The company has increased its line of fabrics to include knits, ecoÂdyed fabrics, notions, and more. In addition, Organic Cotton Plus became the first fabric retailer in the United States to be fully GOTS-certified right through packing in their warehouse.
Fall 2017
Clean Energy
Fall 2017
Clean Energy
Arcadia Power is the first nationwide clean energy platform for individuals and small businesses, giving people in all 50 states access to 100-percent pollution-free energy via their local utility bill. "We are thrilled to be recognized for our commitment to clean energy and plan to use the award to fast-track our nationwide on-bill energy efficiency program," said Kiran Bhatraju, CEO of Arcadia Power. "We want to make it easy for everyone to make sustainable energy choices."
Cromwell Solar is a family owned alternate energy design and installation firm based in the college town of Lawrence, Kansas. Our mission is to increase access to solar for populations in our region that have not had it available before due to problems that are geographical, financial, or legislative in nature.  Our work trains and develops the next generation of green energy craftspeople, improves the environment, and protects the solar industry from utility shenanigans not only in Kansas but, by preventing dangerous precedents, across the entire USA.Â
ABOUT USÂ
Since our beginnings in 1982, Cromwell Environmental, Inc. (the parent company of Cromwell Solar) has specialized in the relationship between people, our buildings, and our…
Ryter Cooperative Industries (RCI) works to provide clean-energy engineering solutions to local communities. "We plan to use this award to continue expansion of our projects in green energy around the state of Michigan," says Ali Dirul, founder and Executive Director of RCI. Among RCI's progressive clean-energy projects are the installation solar-powered city lighting for safer streets and provision of solar-powered generators for use by activists at Standing Rock.
Spring 2017
Green Gardens
Spring 2017
Green Gardens
CERO Cooperative turns trash into treasure, collecting tons of food scraps from local grocery stores and restaurants every week and, instead of letting that stuff turn to toxic methane gas in landfills, they make sure it’s turned into rich compost. Lor Holmes, CERO general manager says, "This award is especially meaningful for our upstart worker cooperative and will support CERO diverting more than 100 tons per month of food waste from landfill to food-growing compost, while providing good green jobs in our community.”
GrowAsis Urban Garden Consulting, Inc. encourages earth stewardship and individual empowerment by helping urban gardeners in Chicago grow and secure their own food. GrowAsis serves Chicago’s south side communities through urban garden education workshops for youth and adults and on-site specialized consultations. Jacqueline Smith, owner of GrowAsis says, “With this prize, GrowAsis looks forward to supporting other social entrepreneurs and green businesses we work with in our community."
RainThanks & Greywater’s mission is to create a regenerative water culture by reusing, capturing, and conserving water. They pursue a vision for a world where every building owner is able to divert grey-water and rainwater to the landscape to grow food. Candace Vanderhoff, founder of RainThanks says, “Utilizing our systems gardeners have been able to save thousands of gallons of water while reducing water cost. We will use the funds to bring our DIY greywater system to market.”
Fall 2016
Green Pets/Animals
Fall 2016
Green Pets/Animals
The Front Yard Coop is the world’s first solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop. While chicken coops are a booming business as well as a growing segment of the do-it-yourself (DIY) community, the Front Yard Coop is unique. They offer technological innovations, solar power, and contemporary design in a comprehensive solution to all the problems Front Yard Coops founders encountered over the years raising chickens. "You think about where your food comes from a little bit more" when you are raising chickens in a solar-powered coop, says founder Peter Zander.
The Full Circle Feed mission is to make the world a better place for pets, plants, and people, with their treats made with vegetables, meats, fruits,and breads from restaurant buffets that were prepared but not served. "Full Circle Feed will use the funds to set up a more environmentally friendly production process and drying method," says founder Michael Amadori. "In particular, instead of electricity or natural gas we plan to use waste heat or biogas generated from anaerobic digestion to bake our dog biscuits. This will greatly reduce our ecological footprint and give us the most sustainable dog treats on the market!"
"“We’re absolutely thrilled to be a winner in Green America’s People and Planet Awards," says Lucy Postins, founder of The Honest Kitchen. "It’s a huge honor to have our commitments to sustainable and humane ingredient sourcing and other environmental efforts recognized in this way. Looking ahead, we’re working towards furthering our goals in these areas, including the integration of free-range eggs into our supply chain and increasing our usage of grass-fed beef, as well as other initiatives for packaging reduction and recycling.”
Summer 2016
Ethical Apparel
Summer 2016
Ethical Apparel
Fair Indigo produces garments and toys from organic Peruvian Pima cotton and dyed with Oeko-Tex certified dyes. But as Fair Indigo puts it, "Taking care of the earth is only half the equation to a cleaner closet. We also must take care of its inhabitants. Our cooperative members and small business employees in Peru are paid fairly, treated with dignity and respect. We visit them every year. Have lunch with them. Listen to their ideas. Laugh with them. Dream with them. When we ask what’s the one thing we could do to make their lives better, with rare exception, their answer is always the same: 'send more work.'”
Fed By Threads is an American-made organic sweatshop-free boutique clothing store and custom print apparel business that also provides emergency meals through the purchase of their garments. They only carry designers who produce inside the United States, paying living wages, and using only sustainable cruelty-free fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, recycled plastic bottles that reduce our collective carbon footprint. Fed By Threads plans to use the prize money to launch a project providing organic cotton hoodies to child cancer patients.
Guided by ideals of Themis, The Goddess of Justice, Themis and Thread creates clothing while taking great care not to adversely affect the environment, humanity or the economy. Â
A fully customizable fashion line of organic cotton, upcycled material, and exclusively American made components is the lifeblood of this certified carbon neutral, wind powered independent label. Â 100% domestic production of all aspects of business allows for our high standards to be easily researched and maintained, while supporting the success of many American makers. Â
Winning the People & Planet Award would help us hire other American makers to increase production and expand wholesale accounts, invest in American technologies relating to sustainable…
Spring 2016
Organics
Spring 2016
Organics
Fruition Seeds grows more than 300 varieties of certified organic, non-GMO seeds regionally adapted to thrive in short Northeast US seasons. They offer garden vegetables, flowers, and herbs as well as organic seeds of native plants, each selected for flavor, productivity and disease resistance to make organic gardening easier and more abundant. Fruition has also been invited to adapt their model of collaboration for a seed saving project in the Dominican Republic. They will be using part of the People & Planet prize money to expand their library of how-to videos for seed savers in the US and DR.
Neptune’s Harvest produces 100-percent organic fertilizer from the “waste” of its parent company, Ocean Crest Seafood, using 100-percent of the fish, and producing an organic fertilizer that nourishes the soil. With part of the People & Planet winnings, Neptune's Harvest will be enhancing their raised beds project at their home office, where they test their organic products, and share the resulting produce with the community. "Fish fertilizer not only helps create healthy plants and soil, but eliminates the need to use pesticides or any other chemicals, which reduces the negative impact on the environment," says Ann Molloy, of Neptune's Harvest.
"We are so thrilled to accept this award, as it will shine a light on the organic producers we depend on, in Athens and beyond, who are the foundation of our green economy," says Christine Hughes of the Village Bakery & Cafe. "This windfall will put us in a good financial position to take the next step in our long-term renewable energy plans. We are in communication with local solar installers to either add a solar vehicle charging station to our parking area, or to take our Della Zona wood-fired bake house off the grid!"
Winter 2016
Green DIY
Winter 2016
Green DIY
The Colorado Yurt Company crafts yurts, tipis, and tents by hand, and ships them out in kit form for customers to assemble on-site themselves. Using far fewer natural resources than a traditional stick built the structure, the yurts are produced in an environmentally friendly shop that features a grid-tie photovoltaic system, skylights, and an aggressive recycling and reuse program. In-shop electricity not provided by the photovoltaic system comes from wind-energy generated by the local electric power co-op.
Garden Tower Project, LLC is a small, dynamic company with big ideas based in Bloomington, Indiana. Committed to socially responsible practices at every level, our mission is no less than to transform gardening, urban agriculture and food sustainability around the globe.  To us, food security is about growing healthy food anywhere under a wide variety of conditions, simply, affordably and collaboratively. In an era of rapidly rising food prices and industrial farming practices that strip our food of nutrients essential for good health, we believe the Garden Tower 2™ is a potent step towards empowering people in their own food security.Â
The multi-patented Garden Tower 2™ is a self-contained vertical garden/eco-system which allows you to…
The Real Milk Paint Co. is committed to making the safest paints and finishes in the industry -- so safe that disposing of unused Real Milk Paint in your garden or yard will actually fertilize and nourish the soil. The company has also sponsored a mural movement for school children in Haiti to paint the walls of their schools, and has sponsored college students exploring sustainable paints at artists’ retreats. They will use the People & Planet award would to make more DIY videos to further education the public.
Fall 2015
Vegan Products
Fall 2015
Vegan Products
Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss is a non-dairy frozen dessert company committed to using vegan, organic, Fair Trade and GMO-free ingredients. Company founders Luna Marcus and Larry Kaplowitz also established philanthropy as a cornerstone of the business, as demonstrated through their annual community benefit, 'A Night of Bliss.' Elizabeth Reilly of Coconut Bliss says: "Winning the People & Planet Award reinforces our mission to make the best non-dairy ice cream on the planet, and to do so without compromising our core values of transparency, integrity and respect for our customers, employees, and the Earth."
Neuaura Footwear aims to provide its customers with cruelty-free options for a wide range of shoes. In addition, the company works to protect workers in the environment, manufacturing in factories like the Brazilian facility pictured above, a unionized plant that runs on hydro-electricity and is committed to responsible resource management, re-use, and recycling. intended destination, recycling companies. Owner Arti Upadhyay says Neuaura will use the money for developing a line of weather-proof vegan winter boots made of sustainable materials.
John Beske, owner of Vegan Street says: “The People & Planet Award comes to us just as we have been actively exploring ways to expand our mission, and is giving us the opportunity to begin programs now that we thought might take months to roll out. This grant will allow us to expand into the production of entertaining and inspirational videos, and also to develop a program where we can teach our communications skills to individuals and groups who want to amplify their own voices and share their unique wisdom and ideas for creating a more compassionate, just and sustainable world."
Spring 2015
Green Celebrations
Spring 2015
Green Celebrations
Big Grove Tavern serves fresh farm-to-table New American Cuisine, with almost 80 percent of their proteins come from farms within 60 miles, and 80 percent of their produce sourced locally during the summer. The tavern also sources from local dairies and distilleries, uses no Styrofoam, and recycles and composts to minimize waste. With its Give Back Campaign, the tavern has been donating a portion of lunch sales to a different local charity every month.
Collective Resource is an innovative composting business that delivers collection containers and returns to pick them up filled with food scraps and other compostable materials. If customers choose to have the company staff their event, Collective Resource ensures the sustainable disposal of organic food waste, as well as all other waste, including recyclables. Erlene Howard, founder of Collective Resource says, "With the award money, we'll be able to invest in automated container washing, which will not only increase our service capacity, but use less water while doing so."
Danielle Pastore, owner of Sweet Peas Café told Green America, “We are very honored to accept this award. In a world of conventional restaurant models and business models, it is very challenging for small businesses to find extra resources that will fund ideas that are outside of the box. This award money is really going to be put good use. For four years, we have had a plan to use the west side of the property as an organic garden space where customers are able to eat, party, and play where food is grown. Thank you for helping to make our dream into a reality, to help us to give our customers a unique experience.”
Winter 2015
Clean Energy
Winter 2015
Clean Energy
Many Americans want to use clean energy, but lack the motivation to make the switch.
CleanPowerPerks is the solution: a program that rewards people + celebrates brandsthat use clean energy.
Our web-based platform guides people to clean energy options and rewards them with perks from national brands that use clean power, too. Our members receive exclusive deals and discounts from brands like prAna, Preserve, Emmy’s Organics, and Timberland. We introduce new perks every month and keep members up to date on clean, green news and tips to help inspire + power their green lifestyle.Â
CleanPowerPerks also creates educational information about clean power, like our Shop Clean List: a database of brands and businesses that support renewable…
Organic Transit designs, builds, and distributes the ELF, a zero-emission, solar-pedal vehicle. With a fuel economy equivalent of 1800 MPG, it is, in fact, the cleanest, most efficient vehicle on the planet. The ELF is designed for commuting, delivery, municipalities, campuses, and the mobility challenged. Â
Since starting production in 2013, Organic Transit has delivered more than 450 ELFs in nine countries. It has a payload capacity of 550 lbs. and a range of up to 100 miles. When replacing a car, an ELF can avoid as much as 6 tons of CO2 emissions. This is the equivalent of planting 900 trees each year. Whenever possible, an ELF is made from upcycled, recycled, and recyclable parts.Â
Currently, Organic Transit vehicles are made in the…
Rain Catchers is a business devoted to directly addressing climate change, clean water issues, and food insecurity all at the same time -- both in the developing world and in the US. Their systems include rainwater harvesting, solar water pumping, stormwater management, UV filtration, and solar energy and wind power installation. Rain Catchers will use a tithing of the People & Planet Award money to support the Future of Haiti Organization and Main St. Methodist community garden in Kernersville, North Carolina.
Fall 2014
Worker Empowerment
Fall 2014
Worker Empowerment
When Canaan Fair Trade began, Palestinian farmers faced plummeting olive oil prices locally and no access to outside markets. Canaan linked struggling farmers with world markets in long-term relationships based on social responsibility and environmental sustainability, helping them support their families and stay on their land. Canaan also secured markets for the products of artisan women producers, enabling women's cooperatives to earn income off products they traditionally produced for their families. Recently, the ILO named the Canaan project and its farmers as a world model for rural transformation.
Mata Traders is a fashion company with a mission to empower women and end global poverty through Fair Trade.  Our apparel and accessories are designed in Chicago and handmade by women’s cooperatives and artisan groups in India and Nepal that pay fair wages and provide safe working conditions.  We produce two collections a year, currently sold on our Web site and in over 400 shops and boutiques around the country and internationally. Â
Mata means 'mother' in Hindi, and our clothing is a tribute to the female shakti (creative) power in all of us.  We love mixing old-fashioned processes with fashion-forward silhouettes and color palettes.  Most of our fabrics are made using craft traditions such as hand loom weaving and hand block-printing…
Who we are:
Ojoba Collective is a fair trade company based in Portland, Oregon. We work directly with women’s cooperatives in rural Ghana, West Africa to produce shea butter and other plant derived natural body care ingredients. We are proud members of the Fair Trade Federation.
We are committed to:
Empowering rural African women and their communities.
Creating natural, hand-crafted products that are environmentally and economically sustainable.
Offering natural, chemical-free alternatives to mainstream skin care products that support the health and wellbeing of our customers.
Bringing Opportunity to Isolated Communities
We work with villagers who live traditionally as subsistence farmers and have little access to electricity, running…
Summer 2014
Green Kids
Summer 2014
Green Kids
When educator Deborah Schimberg traveled to Guatemala in 1992, she learned about chicle, a tree sap had once been the basis of the entire chewing gum industry. Upon her return, she experimented, adding confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, and flavoring, to the chicle, and her company, Glee Gum was born. "The prize winnings will enable us to offer our educational, natural candy-making kits for free to 250 public school classrooms in the US this year," says Deborah. "We look forward to launching this fun program, and hope that it encourages more students to think about where goods come from and how natural resources can be used responsibly."
“The entire staff and families at Green Beginning Community Preschool (GBCP) would like to thank Green America for giving us a platform to foster green practices and sustainability," says Veronica Cabello, executive director and founder of GBCP. "It is our hope that GBCP will become a model program in the field of early childhood education and that other schools will follow and join our efforts to pursue zero waste and adopt other green initiatives. Most importantly we would like to inspire others to advocate and educate children and families in developing awareness of the impact we have on our world."
"Our goal at Peapods has always been two-fold: to offer the safest and greenest goods and to build community in our city," says Millie Adelsheim, co-owner of Peapods Natural Toys and Baby Care. "We believe that a locally owned store benefits a neighborhood in dozens of ways that chain stores or e-commerce sites do not. We will be using this award to invest in more energy-efficient light fixtures and to improve our selection of sustainably made toys for the coming holiday season.” Peapods strives to source locally made and made in the USA products, to help small, green manufacturers and toymakers to grow their businesses.
Spring 2014
Nominees Chosen by Community Development Lenders
Spring 2014
Nominees Chosen by Community Development Lenders
Cathy Scratch of Feed Earth Now, points out that she's really two businesses in one. Her business tackles waste management issues by rapidly recycling large volumes of food scraps into fertilizer, while at the same time supporting the scalability of organic agriculture. "Our business helps society live in balance with nature by providing products and services that capture the energy and nutrients of organic materials, creating a path that transforms discarded materials into valuable resources that enable communities to thrive," she says. "We plan on using this gift to further develop our web platform and any money left over will go towards a trade show exhibit."
Dale Freudenberger, CEO of the solar-installation company FLS Energy points out that it's community-focused lenders like Self-Help Credit Union that have allowed his business to survive and thrive. "By finding financial groups with shared goals of creating sustainable communities and a cleaner world, FLS Energy was able to develop an ownership model and scale of renewable energy project development thought impossible just a few short years ago," he says. "We have decided to use the money awarded to help support organizations that are doing great work in our local community; Asheville Go, Riverlink, and Asheville Greenworks."
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused Mauthe's Progress Milk Barn, an all-organic dairy, to close its doors. With the help of Hope Credit Union, Mauthe's Progress was able to relaunch in 2010 and has been growing ever since. "We’ve been wanting to improve the efficiency of our rotational grazing by making and supplying our own organic fertilizer, and this award will help us secure the tools we need to do that – pipes, fittings, tanks, and an irrigation pump," says owner Jaime Mauthe. "We look forward to even greater returns from our pasture-grazing, all-organic-fed cows."
Winter 2014
Green Homes
Winter 2014
Green Homes
Ruthie Mundell, the outreach manager at Community Forklift, says winning the People & Planet award will help tidy things up around their overflowing home-improvement center. "We've recently been offered unfinished space in a nearby warehouse," she says. “The prize money will help us clean and fix it up. We can finally explore some exciting possibilities – like paint recycling, an upcycling workshop, or job training in deconstruction!" Community Forklift specializes in salvage, recycling, and reuse. Each day, their truck team heads out to pick up so-called "trash" to return to the store for resale.
“We are happy to be recognized for helping central Ohio go solar and reduce the impact of climate change," says Kevin Eigel, president of Ecohouse in Galloway, OH. "We will use the prize money to help put up a solar electric system for the Third-Hand Bike Co-op, a local nonprofit organization that makes cycling accessible for everyone in our region." Ecohouse is helping to reduce fossil-fuel dependence, one house and business at a time, by installing solar PV systems, making buildings more airtight and better insulated, and encouraging the use of energy efficient furnaces, appliances, and lighting.
Nancy Vasquez Louth, the manager of the Green Broom Brigade cleaning cooperative in Lompoc, CA, says the cooperative will use its People & Planet prize money to expand its services beyond the residential market. "Winning this award will give us the opportunity to purchase needed equipment so that we can expand into commercial cleaning using our same green-friendly products,” she says. Diana Camaguey (above, right), a member of the Brigade, says, “To work green is not a passing fad; it’s a way of life that we practice for our own health and so future generations have a better quality of life.”
Fall 2013
Green Travel & Transportation
Fall 2013
Green Travel & Transportation
Pamela Miedtke-Wolf and Shaun Stenshol, co-founders of Bio-Beetle ECO Rental Cars in Kahului, HI say the People & Planet Award will go toward investing in a new car for their biodiesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and 100-percent electric rental fleet. Besides renting cars, they also own and operate a recycling company, they live off-grid, with solar energy, and a rainwater catchment. They're vegan, and grow a lot of their own food. Plus, they have recently created a cat sanctuary for around 100 homeless cats that had nowhere else to go.
“We owe big thanks to our partner restaurants who provide us with waste veggie oil, our environmentally conscious investors, our community supporters, and our drivers and staff," says Marc Dreyfors, founding manager of Greenway Transit. Based in Durham, NC, Greenway is the first and only transport company in the Southeast to provide services in vehicles run exclusively on human energy (pedicabs) or biofuels (buses, shuttles, vans). Greenway will use the People & Planet funds to do community outreach on the benefits of biodiesel and on environmental justice issues.
Alline Anderson, the founder of the Milkweed Mercantile, a straw bale eco-inn in Rutledge, MO, says the award will help Milkweed pay for work in the inn's demonstration garden, which will, in turn, provide local and organic food for guests at the inn. "The funds will go a long way in our efforts to demonstrate that a sustainable life is about joy, community, a real sense of connection, hope, and of course, great food!" says Alline. "Additionally, we will be able to take our line of jam and pickles to the next level by supporting more local farmers and gardeners."
Spring 2013
Sustainable Food
Spring 2013
Sustainable Food
Since 2008, Green City Growers has installed more than 400 raised-bed rooftop gardens on homes, businesses, schools, and restaurants in Massachusetts. The company will begin maintaining the largest rooftop farm in New England for a Whole Foods store in the summer of 2013, which is expected to yield up 11,000 pounds of produce a year. "We plan on using our winnings to invest in a more environmentally friendly vehicle," says CEO and founder Jessie Benghazi.
Love & Carrots is an organic gardening service which teaches families, businesses, and organizations how to grow their own food (including honey!). All Love & Carrots gardens incorporate conservation principles like companion planting, nutrient cycling, and water-saving drip line irrigation that benefit the surrounding ecosystem. "We are excited to devote the prize money to creating a larger composting system for the organic waste from our gardens," says founder Meredith Sheperd.
When a tornado struck the Chile Woman in 2011, she found the silver lining: "I was too heavily wooded for solar before the tornado but I lost so much of my old growth tree cover that solar became a possibility," she says. As an organic, non-GMO chile grower for more than 20 years, Susan Westland maintains an heirloom seed bank of more than 1800 chile pepper varieties. She plans to use her winnings to install a cistern and to launch a small store for locally made spicy food products.
Winter 2013
Zero Waste
Winter 2013
Zero Waste
CompostNow is a weekly doorstep pick-up service allowing households to divert their food scraps and compostable waste, creating nutrient-rich soil for home and community gardens. As of February 2013, CompostNow and its community had intercepted 50,000 lbs. of compostable waste, producing 25,000 lbs. of compost. CompostNow intends to use the award money to branch out into other North Carolina cities.
In addition to their robust container return-and-reuse program, Hummingbird Wholesale pursues zero-waste with their clean and green bike delivery system. "Our prize money will buy us a second electric bike cart, doubling our bike delivery capacity," says Kristie Steele of Hummingbird Wholesale. "Making local deliveries via bike pays off in cleaner air, fun and healthy work, and ongoing inspiration for our co-owners and community."
Preserve manufactures plastic personal care products out of 100-percent recycled #5 plastic, rescuing thousands of yogurt containers, lip-balm tubes, Brita filters, and other toss-away items from the landfill. Preserve will be using the prize money to help find and reward upcoming winners of the company's own Local Heroes of Recycling contest. “We are thrilled to be able to pay it forward,” says Preserve CEO Eric Hudson.
Fall 2012
Clean Energy
Fall 2012
Clean Energy
City Roots grows 75 varieties of fruits and vegetables, keeps bees for both honey and pollination, and raises chickens for both eggs and include the platinum-LEED-certified, un-air-conditioned, naturally lit main building and a hybrid delivery car. The People & Planet Award will help finance a solar hydroponic growing system, as well as a new strategy for reducing tractor fuel.
Clean Currents is a green electricity provider that sells wind and solar energy to residents and businesses in Washington, DC; Maryland; and central Pennsylvania. Through renewable energy purchases by both business and residential customers, Clean Currents offset 288,430,778 lbs. of CO2 emissions in 2011. They're investing their award in advancing their Green Neighborhood Challenge.
“We will use our award to establish our new office composting system and teach the other businesses in our building how to compost with us," says Third Sun's Michelle Greenfield. "We'll reduce our company’s carbon footprint with an energy-efficiency lighting retrofit, and we will install some solar power with our local Habitat for Humanity chapter. Thank you for making these opportunities possible!”
Summer 2012
Local Community Action
Summer 2012
Local Community Action
Green Kid Crafts provides convenient, sustainable, and engaging activities that help families enjoy their quality time together while cultivating a child’s love and respect for the environment. They offset 100% of their carbon emissions, and partner with their local community nonprofit  Hope Community Resources to employ a team of disabled people to pack and ship their Discovery Boxes.
Raleigh City Farm is a commercial urban farm growing food made from local rain, local compost, and local sunshine. They supply many local restaurants with organic produce, and partner local businesses to re-use their waste (wood, coffee bags, cardboard, and newspapers) as growing-beds. Their People & Planet Award will help them build a rain-water collection and irrigation system.
Sonoma Compost Company (SCC), the regional compost facility for Sonoma County since 1993, has diverted nearly 1.5 million tons of organic matter (yard trimmings and vegetative food scraps) from landfills. SCC is both a sponsor and educator in the "350 Home and Garden Challenge" led by the local nonprofit Daily Acts. SCC donated the cash prize from its People & Planet Award to Daily Acts.
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