• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

State program highlights green businesses

Wisconsin has taken eco-tourism to a level above most states.

It’s leading the way with the Travel Green Wisconsin program, which certifies tourism-related businesses committed to sustainable business practices that lessen their impact on the environment.

The program was created by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism in partnership with the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative and launched last year. To date, 182 businesses have been certified.

Will Christianson, outreach coordinator for the tourism department, said it’s about making the state’s unique attributes sustainable.

“A big part of it is identifying who we are as a state,” he said of the program.

And with the green movement taking hold, the tourism department saw it as an opportunity to capitalize on the state’s natural resources and its heritage of environmental stewardship, Christianson said.

Travel Green Wisconsin is considered one of the most comprehensive programs in the nation. While a handful of other states have eco-tourism certification programs, they’re smaller and often include only lodging, he said.

As Kermit the Frog said, it’s not easy being green. But hotels, restaurants, attractions and shops are being recognized for their efforts.

“The idea has been there for quite some time,” Christianson said. “(Businesses) were doing this stuff before there was a Travel Green Wisconsin. It’s just a way people conduct business.”

The application has two parts:

-- Baseline information—Businesses must measure their environmental impact, including such things as the amount of garbage that goes to the landfill, energy usage and water usage.

-- Self-evaluation checklist—Businesses must indicate what they’re doing or what they plan to do within six months in nine categories, from communication and education to waste reduction to energy efficiency. To become certified, businesses must score a minimum of 30 points on the checklist.

Certified businesses then are qualified to use the Travel Green Wisconsin logo. They also are recognized on the Travel Green Wisconsin and department of tourism Web sites.

The program’s popularity is gaining, Christianson said. In the first half of 2008, the program has seen growth of almost 75 percent.

He said Travel Green businesses understand the importance of creating a sustainable product.

“What they are consciously or unconsciously creating is a stewardship culture in the state—a better understanding of why it’s important to take care of our land, water and air,” Christianson said.

He said hotels, restaurants and shops do that by educating the people who stop in.

“They’re saying, ‘This is what makes this town so special … that you can’t get it anywhere else,’” he said. “They reflect what’s unique and special throughout their business.”

And consumers are hungry for that, Christianson said.

“They’re looking for sustainable products, green products,” he said. “When you provide a consumer with two products that are essentially the same—if one of those is going through steps that make it sustainable, the consumer is more likely to pick that product.”

Christianson said businesses certified by Travel Green Wisconsin see a “triple bottom line” benefit that includes a smaller environmental impact, lower costs and more revenue.

“More and more businesses are seeing the marketing benefits,” he said. “It’s the name recognition alone … Travel Green Wisconsin is seen as a leader, and, consequently, the businesses are, too.”