Colorado Green Business Network of the Yampa Valley

Gold (100 Points): Organizations excelling at sustainable operations in their sector.

Silver (50 points): Organizations that have begun to integrate sustainability into multiple aspects of their organization.

Bronze (25 Points): Organizations who have begun implementing sustainability into daily operations.

The Support Level: To get assistance and support, organizations need to register in  GreenBizTracker. This does not include recognition. 

An award-winning state leader in environmental stewardship, Alpine Bank was established in 1973 in Carbondale, Colorado, and in 2003 the bank's grassroots Green Team was established.

Over two decades, Green Team influences and accomplishments have included resource- and energy-saving programs, green philanthropy, community initiatives and an environmental management system (EMS) that has earned the highest global accreditation, known as ISO 14001 certification, year after year.

“We place a high value on our natural environment in Colorado, and the responsible use of its resources as essential for our health and lifestyle” Glen Jammaron, Alpine Bank president.

Read more about  Alpine Bank's Environmental Leadership .

Cowgirl Compost CO is a community-focused business that captures organic resources, food, and vegetative wastes, to make compost. Cowgirl Compost CO serves residential and commercial customers in Routt County and provides drop-off and pickup collections for food scraps. These organic resources are returned to the community as high-quality compost. The process keeps food and vegetation from becoming waste by handling it as nature intended in a fully circular system.

"Recycling organics through composting is a simple way to do something tangible every single day to make the world better for future generations."

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation has replaced 718 fluorescent lightbulbs with LED replacements during the calendar year 2023. Installation occurred across the resort, including at the administrative building and parking garages. In 2023 an electric snowmobile was added to their fleet.

"Our company is committed to procuring 100% renewable electricity by 2030 through a mix of onsite and offsite renewable energy projects and will proactively partner with utility providers across our portfolio to make this goal a reality."

• Sunniemade is redesigning their travel soap keeper to be more streamlined and durable, extending the product life and ensuring the overall product weight is ~30% lighter, resulting in lower emissions through the sales process and throughout the product's life. A new product launch will occur by the end of 2024.
• Improve shipping efficiency by warehousing products in a central distribution hub with a fulfillment partner. By relocating fulfillment to a more central national location (currently fulfilling out of Steamboat), Sunniemade should see a ~20% reduction in shipping emissions. The transition to a fulfillment partner should occur by the end of 2024.

• Reduce gas-powered transportation as a company by 50% for the duration of the calendar years between 2024 - 2027 by utilizing electric vehicles, electric bikes, and bicycles for commuting to job sites, and commuting to and from the office. Two company electric bikes were purchased in 2024 that can be used by all employees to help achieve the goal.
• Reduce paper consumption/waste by 30% for the duration of the calendar years between 2024 - 2027 by adding hand towels in bathrooms as an alternative option to paper towels, and by converting to electronic systems for taking notes and reviewing plans rather than using printed paper.

• Wood waste diversion efforts: No wood chips or wood waste goes to the landfill. Some chips are taken to Twin Enviro, where they are used as a road base and for improvements.
• SavATree replaced all lightbulbs in our shop after we moved in 2022 with LED high-efficiency bulbs.
• Participated in the Steamboat Springs Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive event with the Nissan Leaf.

 "Looking at ways we can be more environmentally sustainable and spread this knowledge to our staff in hopes they can take some of the methods of sustainability into their everyday practices as well.  We try to reduce our waste, save on electricity/power, be more efficient with our equipment and vehicle fleet, encourage sustainability, carpool when possible, use alternative transportation with incentive programs (CARbon Free Challenge), provide Environmental education through our Wellness committee, etc."

LiftUp participates in the Grocery Rescue program with the Food Bank of the Rockies, whereby they receive food that would otherwise go to waste. LiftUp tries to minimize the food waste coming out of their food banks by providing foods with a short shelf life in their Grab and Go section, and giving expired foods to local ranchers for their goats. LiftUp had 279 volunteers in 2023 helping in different areas.

Future Goals:

• Achieve 90% organic or recycled materials across all lines of products by 2026 while supporting product line expansion.
• Implement a program to take back garments for proper textile recycling. Offer discounts for future purchases to encourage use.

Being a green business doesn't always have to be about reducing waste or carbon emissions, it can also be about giving back to the local community by making donations, which Northwest Data Services excels at.

• Reduce usage of electricity by reducing A/C unit and computers.

• Waste heat reduction by moving waste heat to heat water or air.

So far, Gravity Haus has replaced multiple HVAC units at the Steamboat location.

"Our largest goal is to formalize our environmental framework and ensure 100% education and communication with our employees and vendors."

"As a green coffee roaster, resource-efficiency means using energy-efficient equipment, minimizing water usage, managing waste responsibly, and sourcing beans sustainably. Community and leadership accomplishments involve engaging with coffee-growing communities, supporting fair trade practices, providing education and training, ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions, and advocating for sustainability within the coffee industry. It's about balancing operational efficiency with ethical leadership and positive community impact."