Sustainable Focused Businesses
in the Racine Area
Note: One of the purposes of the Racine Sustainable Business Network is to promote those companies that are already heavily engaged in sustainability in their products, processes, best practices, and marketing. Here is a list of companies that are active in living and promoting their sustainable commitments. We believe that this is an extraordinary number of companies in our area engaged in ecological innovation and we are eager to promote them.
Racine County, Wisconsin
Economic Hub of Environmental Innovation
Pioneering Ecological Sustainability
download a document with the information on this page
Economic Hub of Environmental Innovation
Pioneering Ecological Sustainability
download a document with the information on this page
Bombardier Recreational Products
BRP is a global leader in the design, development, and manufacturing of power-sports vehicles and marine propulsion systems. They are committed to excellence in safety, employee relations, and involvement in the community, such as assistance in recovery from natural disasters. The Sturtevant plant makes the Evinrude outboard engines. Their motors use 50% to 75 % less oil and attain maximum fuel efficiency. For these innovations, they received the 2014 Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Award. In operations, BRP adopts best practices that exceed governmental standards. The Sturtevant plant has made major reductions in their carbon footprint, diverts 93% of waste from landfills, and has a heat recovery system.
ButterBuds Inc
Butter Buds produces concentrated food flavorings made from natural ingredients and used by food companies worldwide. They are continuously evaluating and improving products to meet health standards and to create smaller, more recyclable packaging. As a result of consulting with SustainAbility in 2009, Butter Buds has worked in five areas of sustainable business practices: responsible sourcing, reducing waste, conserving water, lowering energy impacts, and enhancing working conditions. Butter Buds has lowered energy consumption by 37% per 100 pounds of product and reduced landfill waste by 90%, thereby creating a more competitive company. Member: Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (Green Masters Program).
Case New Holland
An international company that produces state-of- the-art fuel-efficient farm equipment. Their robust program of sustainability involves regional officers and green teams in the plant. CNH follows the International Organization for Standardization, the Racine plant being certified in environment, energy, and safety. The annual CNH Sustainability Report shows: LED lighting; occupancy sensors; smart building controls; some solar lighting. The Racine plant has also attained “zero waste” through comprehensive recycling and energy production. They control water runoff with bio swales and foster biodiversity with native plants. Member: Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (Green Masters Program).
Cree, Inc
For two decades, Cree has been leading the industry with revolutionary innovations in lighting by offering advanced LED (Light Emitting Diodes)products: 60, 75, 100 watt equivalent light bulb (shaped like standard bulbs), T-8 replacement lighting tubes, outdoor flood lights, dimmable bulbs, and high performance modules . They offer the best selling light bulbs in the United States. The lighting offers warm, omnidirectional, soft light that uses 85% less energy that an incandescent bulb and lasts 25 times longer. Packaging is 100% recyclable. CREE is also an innovator in lighting design for specialized areas. CREE is committed to continual improvement in the products they offer.
Great Northern Corporation
An industry leader in the environmentally-conscious development of sustainable packaging and in-store displays. From the types and amounts of materials used, to production processes and delivery methods, they seek to help their customers reach their sustainability goals. They design and engineer new products that utilize less material, are produced with more eco-friendly processes, and ultimately reduce the impact that packaging and display solutions have on the environment. Internally, they center on process improvements that reduce the amount of energy, natural resources, and waste required to operate their business. As a company, they promote sustainability as “The Responsible Choice.”
Kranz, Inc
Kranz embraces the role of leading the packaging and cleaning industry to create a sustainable future. Kranz products and processes promote the performance, productivity, health and safety of customers, building occupants and cleaning personnel and minimize the impact on our environment through safe and cost-effective sustainable solutions. KRANZ GREEN™ is a complete system for creating healthier, more productive facilities without harming the environment, using the leading standards from organizations like the US Green Building Council, Healthy Schools Campaign, and Hospitals for a Healthy Environment as well as leading third-party standards such as Green Seal, Environmental Choice, Chlorine Free Products Association, and the Greenguard Environmental Institute. Member: Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (Green Masters Program).
Insinkerator
Insinkerator manufactures and markets household disposals that have a number of environmental benefits. US Households produce 34 million tons of food waste per year. A Life Cycle Assessment shows that disposals significantly lessen the environmental impact of food waste compared to putting it in landfills. Disposals avoid transport emissions as well as deposits in landfills where food scraps give off methane, a greenhouse gas over 21 times the potency of CO2. Sink disposals break up the food scraps; and many waste water treatment plants can transform the scraps into energy (capturing methane to run the treatment plant) and further transform the residuals (biosolids) into fertilizer for agriculture.
Modine Manufacturing Company
Modine produces a variety of innovations that enhance fuel economy and engine performance for autos, sports vehicles, off-highway vehicles, buses, and trucks as well as HVAC systems for buildings. Modine is working to create a healthier environment by decreasing toxic chemicals, minimizing waste, and providing cooler and more efficient engines and heating products. Their GeoFinity heat pump systems are touted as the most environmentally clean and cost-effective way in heating, cooling, and hot water.
S. C. Johnson
S. C. Johnson has been pursuing excellence across the board for decades in safe and effective products and sustainable business practices. With the SC Johnson Greenlist™ initiative, they have consistently sought to lower or eliminate harmful chemicals from their products through standards that go beyond legal and regulatory requirements. They pursue social responsibility in relation to the sources of their products. In addition, they produce concentrates for refills for their cleaning products so as to reduce plastic bottles. Since 2000, they have cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% through efficient lighting, harvesting energy from garbage and waste, and renewables from wind energy. Each year they make improvements in waste reduction and recycling. To get the full picture, see their annual “Sustainability Report” online. Member: Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (Green Masters Program).
United Natural Foods Inc. Distribution Center
UNFI is the leading independent national distributor of natural, organic food and food supplements. Their motto is Driven by Nature. They are dedicated to “the highest quality of sustainability.” The distribution center building recently completed in Racine County is expected to receive a gold level of LEED certification: 40% less water use and 24% less energy use in comparison to standard buildings; Construction made use of 20% recyclable building materials. They have a 5 year plan to reduce carbon emissions by 5% over five years, move to renewable energy, reduce waste, and increase recycling. Their annual “Sustainability Report” is available on the website.
BadgerMeter
[information to be provided]
Gateway Technical College
Small businesses: D. P. Wigley, Legacy Recycling, Envi Ultra Lounge