The Grazing Mind

Back in 2008 Ralphies Green Stampede made the University of Colorado the first NCAA bowl championship team to eliminate public trash cans in its stadiums, and measure the impact it had on waste diversion. Which makes us all the more jazzed to be renewing the partnership this year, and adding a few more things to the table. That’s right, we’re once again partnering with the Buffs to help bring a little “green” to the Black and Gold… and have a little fun along the way.

On top of the Green Stampede program, we’re also sponsoring the University’s Homegrown Hero’s program, which highlights athletes who’ve seen success at CU, and also grew up right here in Colorado. Check out this week’s honoree.

And we’ll also be sponsoring the new Family Fun Zone area at Folsom; a great spot for activities to help burn some energy before you get into the stadium before the game.

Check out some of the photos below from the Fun Zone at last week’s game, and stay tuned to The Grazing Mind for more around our Partnership with CU throughout the season.

I get the same elated feeling when I find five dollars in my pocket as I do when I open the refrigerator at dinnertime and find a homemade, pre-prepared meal already waiting for me. Leftovers and their trusty ally the microwave can relieve any distressed person needing to get food on the table quickly. I’m an advocate for using any leftovers—it is efficient and waste-free. But a recent New York Times article informed me that I am missing a further opportunity to take advantage of leftovers’ potential.

Stem-to-root cooking accepts all parts of fruits, vegetables, and legumes as edible, a no-waste philosophy on foods’ capabilities. Stems, leaves, cobs, rinds, seeds, peels, and scraps still contain valuable nutrients and flavors that can be incorporated in delicious and healthful recipes. Anything else, of course, is compostable.

Here at WhiteWave, we take a stand for leftovers’ efficiencies as well, both in our eating, living, and office habits. Through our partnership with Eco-Cycle, paper, cardboard, trash, food, and other waste produced at the office are all diverted to appropriate recycling or composting locations. Even liquid refuse in drains is pumped into liquid composters. In 2010, WhiteWave’s recycling and composting program diverted over 115,000 pounds of waste from landfills.

Another key cornerstone of WhiteWave’s green campaign for a zero-waste operation is reusability. That means using reusable mugs, water bottles, grocery bags, and dishes to cut out constantly trashing plastic bags and paper dishware. Even my zippy work station and desk chair are over 90% recyclable. (Hopefully that information doesn’t ignite any office pranks around here.)

Start a compost pile in your backyard, try a fennel and carrot frond salad, or switch out that plastic water bottle for a reusable one. Wise use of leftovers can cut costs, increase efficiencies, and make a little change in our environment.

How do you use leftovers?

We’ve talked about the Wafe Café a couple times here on TGM.  It’s easily one of the things I love most about working in our headquarters building. Having access to a beautiful salad bar with fresh organic veggies every day can’t be beat. (Okay, neither can the pizza bar, grill station or deli, but I digress.)

Yesterday, we held a meeting for all employees. We do that every quarter. Our president kicks off the meetings, and then various employees provide updates on their respective pieces of the business. It’s a cool way to find out what’s going on at the company. Also cool, the BBQ out back after the meeting. It was catered by our fabulous folks in the Wave Café and in keeping with our commitment to zero-waste recycling we made sure Eco-Cycle zero-waste stations were prominent so that employees could dispose of their lunch scraps outside – just like they do every day at the café and in our break rooms.

The neat thing is Eco-Cycle captured and provide a snapshot of the benefits of our recycling and composting efforts just for that single lunch (they track this stuff for us annually, too.) Get this, just for that one lunch, our employees:

• Recovered 146 pounds of materials – that’s 97% of everything we discarded!
• Saved 2 gallons of gasoline in energy savings
• Saved 310 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions; and
• Avoided 46 pounds of substances that threaten human health

Now that’s something to chew on.