Photo taken at Wooden Robot Brewery by Rachel Safren, The Vital Form.

Our inaugural Biketoberfest was an unprecedented community event, full of fun and excitement for people of all ages! This event was all that we had hoped it would be, as it inspired Charlotteans and visitors alike to open their minds to the joys and benefits of riding a bike around town. Here's what some of our participants had to say:

What was your favorite thing about Biketoberfest?

"Biking around with other people with similar interests. The awesome people I met and the cool places we were able to see. I also enjoyed that I felt like I was helping out our community by answering the questions and participating. Biketoberfest was the coolest thing I've done in Charlotte and I have lived here for 4+ years!"

This month's Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer was a big one! About 60 old and new friends joined us as Gold Partners DPS Construction and Belk talked about their inspiring sustainability practices.

Our new Bicycle Program Director, Jordan Moore, introduced himself and discussed his role in building Charlotte's cycling community so more people will ride for transportation. If you love riding a bike or using any other type of sustainable transportation (or want to find out how easy it is!), join us for our very first Biketoberfest next Saturday, October 17! You'll bike, walk, or ride transit to fun destinations around Center City and South End to earn stamps in your official Biketoberfest passport. The more stamps you collect, the more chances you'll have to win a TREK bicycle and other fabulous prizes. Tickets are only $15 and that includes a Recover t-shirt, craft beer, and after party concert at Triple C! Kids can join in the fun for free with a registered adult. Click here to buy tickets and join us!

You can help us make Biketoberfest a success by volunteering. We have 5 shifts available, including several that would still allow you to participate in the main event. Click here to volunteer.

Have you ever wondered how a local business can be more sustainable? Sustain Charlotte's Silver Partner Pasta & Provisions, Charlotte's family-owned Italian grocery and fresh pasta maker, is a great example of how a small business can do many seemingly small things that add up to make a difference.

During our August Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer, Tommy George, owner of Pasta & Provisions, inspired the audience by sharing the many ways in which his business is contributing to a more sustainable Charlotte community.

Tommy George discussed Pasta & Provisions' commitment to sustainability.

Tommy George and his wife, Debbie, opened Pasta & Provisions in 1992 in its current Myers Park location in Charlotte. From the very beginning, Tommy George had sustainability on his mind. First things first, he told mixer attendees, he was determined to get a recycling bin on the property. While it was bit of a challenge to get the property owner to give up a parking space, Tommy was eventually successful in his request.

Over 20 years later, the George's business has embraced sustainability in various ways:

Before you even enter the store, a sticker on the door that says "please remember to BYOB" reminds customers to bring in their reusable bag. Pasta & Provisions distributed 500 reusable shopping bags.

Employees also reflect the business's dedication to sustainability by asking "do you need a bag?" at check-out. 

Tommy told mixer attendees about the creative way that he has encouraged sustainability around one of his top-selling items -- olive oil. Pasta & Provisions has 7 olive oils on tap! If that isn't cool enough, Tommy also encourages customers to re-use olive oil jars by allowing them to bring back their old jar for a re-fill. And, Tommy shared, if you forget your jar, no problem, you can grab a coffee cup from your car and fill that up with your favorite olive oil instead! 

And it doesn't stop there. Customers can also get a discount by bringing in their own containers to fill with pasta sauce. 

Pasta & Provisions has also committed to purchasing food packaging that is both sustainable and meets the needs of his business.

These are all examples of the creative ways in which a business owner can incorporate the mindset of sustainability into their business culture and practice. We're so grateful for the generous support of Pasta & Provisions and all of our partners. To learn how Sustain Charlotte can partner with your organization, visit our partnership page. 

When was the last time you thought about the sustainability of the hot water or heating source at your workplace? Boilers aren't at the forefront of most peoples' minds when you ask them about corporate sustainability. But they're a major user of energy in many business and industrial settings.

During last night's Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer, Frank Salensky, CEO of Sustain Charlotte's Silver Partner Greffen Systems, explained to more than 50 attendees how his company saw potential for improving the energy efficiency of boilers. They developed a sustainable business model that's saving customers money while also reducing carbon emissions. 

Frank Salensky and Erwin Morrison discussed Greffen Systems' commitment to sustainability. 

Frank explained that Greffen's M2G is an advanced intelligent boiler control that optimizes the heating efficiency of hot water boilers. A unit attached to each boiler monitors the temperature of the water in the flow and return every 10 seconds. This control system keeps the boiler from firing unnecessarily. Greffen Systems products reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption by up to 30 percent with typical payback in fewer than 24 months. 

Erwin Morrison and Frank Salensky ended their presentation by explaining why they support Sustain Charlotte through partnership and noted, "It's incredible what Sustain Charlotte has accomplished in only five years!" We're so grateful for the generous support of Greffen Systems and all of our partners. To learn how Sustain Charlotte can partner with your organization, visit our partnership page. 

Over 45 people attended the very first Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer! The event was held in the beautiful basement of The Liberty in South End. Numerous guests told us, "I didn't know this place even has a basement!" But it does, and it's the perfect location for our new merged mixer. With its dark wood shelving, personal bar service, and private meeting space, we already feel right at home. The Liberty graciously donated appetizers for our mixer, including plates full of delicious house-made soft pretzels.

Christina Vernon, Assistant Vice President for a Healthy Environment at our Gold Partner Carolinas Healthcare System, explained the unique sustainability challenges faced by medical facilities. She cited some incredible statistics: A single cardiac procedure generates as much waste as an average American household of 4 people in one week. CHC's acute primary care facilities generate an average of 37 tons per day, or the equivalent of 7 elephants.

Christina Vernon explained how Carolinas Healthcare System is committed to sustainability.

Just when you thought our Monthly Mixer couldn't get any better, we're making it happen! Beginning in June, we'll combine our monthly networking event with Green Drinks Charlotte. We're all excited about this merger of the two events since we know it'll mean more chances for YOU to expand your network of new friends who care about sustainability! The format will remain similar and you'll still see all of the Sustain Charlotte staff and volunteers, but we'll also be joined by volunteers and current attendees of Green Drinks Charlotte.

We can't imagine a better opportunity to invite your friends, family, and colleagues to our new event! Stay tuned to our social media (Facebook and Twitter) and your email for an announcement about the date and location of the next mixer.

More than 45 people came to mingle and to hear what we're working on!

Sustain Charlotte Features S & D Coffee & Tea at First Mixer of the Year

Sustainability supporters came out in record numbers to the first Sustain Charlotte Mixer of the year. Over 60 community members attended the event at Triple C Brewing Company, including over 20 first time attendees.

John Weibel, Environmental Systems Program Manager for S & D Coffee and Tea, explains how they are addressing sustainability.

Each month, we host a free networking mixer that brings together sustainability professionals and one of our featured partners for an evening of fun and information exchange.

Tuesday evening, we hosted our October mixer at Triple C Brewing, Co. and had a special presentation by our featured partner National Gypsum. Mundise Mortimer, Director of Strategic Planning, spoke about why National Gypsum values sustainability and how the company has evaluated and adjusted every aspect of their operations to better protect the environment. 

Check out the recap from this event and what we learned during the discussions and be sure to visit our EVENTS page to stay updated on next month’s event.