Crain's Chicago Business's online multimedia crew visited Goodness Greeness for a segment in the Entrepreneurs in Action series.  Click here for an inside look at Goodness Greeness with CEO Bob Scaman.
 

CHICAGO…Known as an innovative leader in the organic produce industry, Goodness Greeness is taking a major step toward decreasing its C02 emissions by signing an agreement to purchase and use wind energy. The energy purchase will be used to power operations at its Englewood facility and will account for 100% of the electricity used there. Clean Currents, a sustainable energy company, helped broker the deal with a competitive energy supplier that will deliver the wind power. Goodness Greeness is able to buy this “clean and green” power through regular transmission lines at prices competitive with suppliers using coal fired or nuclear powered plants.

According to Warren King, general manager of Goodness Greeness, the purchase of wind energy is just one of several steps the company is taking to greatly reduce its energy footprint. “We are beginning to look at all aspects of our business, from transportation to packaging, to see how we might consume less energy and find greener alternatives. Besides this wind energy contract, we will soon be using biodegradable and compostable products for tray wrapped vegetables. We have been recycling cardboard waste for some time and last winter participated in the City of Chicago’s drive to recycle computer hardware. As an organic produce company, we know the benefits that sustainable practices bring to people and the environment.”

King says that the next step for the company is to start measuring the impact of its current energy usage on the environment and to make plans for reducing it further. While no goals have been set, the company wants to see if it can bring its organization’s net C02 emissions as close to zero as possible.