When less is more: from less- to zero-waste philosophies, Colorado companies go beyond recycling.

• Author: Hood, Grace
• Position: Planet profit report - Report

Here's what you may notice upon entering Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites. Its sky-lit entryway ushers guests to a wood-paneled reception desk. A waterfall at the nearby pool echoes in the building's spacious interior. Guests linger comfort ably in a nearby seating area.

Right next to the reception desk is something you might not see. A handwritten message on a dry-erase board reads:

Outlook Hotel is a zero-waste hotel So far we have saved 734 trees, kept 679 cubic yards of trash out of the landfill, saved 300,000 gallons of water, 281,000 kwh of electricity, 2,700 pounds of air pollutants, 6,900 cubic feet of methane gas.

The Outlook is one of a growing number of Colorado businesses to embrace a zero-waste philosophy, which aims to reduce waste by composting, recycling and diminishing consumption of natural resources. For these businesses, a commitment to the environment goes beyond the daily recycling of paper and plastics.

Adopting a zero-waste plan was not cheap for Outlook Hotel Owner and Manager Dan King, who estimates it cost thousands in upfront capital and hours of employee training. But two years into his new waste-management plan, King says that it has saved the hotel money, improved employee retention and attracted thousands of dollars of new revenue every month.

"It's been the best investment we've ever made," he says.

Two years ago, words like "zero waste," "compost" and "carbon footprint" weren't commonly uttered in business settings. Now, due to increased energy costs and a growing environmental ethic, companies are looking more closely at less-and zero-waste philosophies, modeling themselves after King and others. In Colorado, interest has reached new heights due to the influence of the Democratic National Convention, which is being touted as the greenest political convention ever. But as more businesses jump on the green bandwagon, industries are increasingly struggling with what it means to be environmentally friendly.

Andrea Robinson, director of sustain-ability and greening for the Democratic National Convention Committee, says that businesses are waking up to the fact that a reduced carbon footprint can green both the environment and the bottom line. For Robinson, one thing is clear: Businesses that change with the tide will build significant momentum in the coming years.

"The businesses that don't will be left in the dust," she says.

AN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC

Denver may be the epicenter of greening efforts this summer, but it is the city's neighbor to the north, Boulder, that has seen Colorado's highest concentration of businesses adopting reduced- and zero-waste philosophies in recent years. The shift is no coincidence. Both the city and county of Boulder have zero-waste resolutions, which identify the philosophy as a way to divert significant waste from the landfill.

"Companies in our community understand that to be part of (it), they need to have an environmental ethic--that's expected," says Marti Matsch, communications director for Eco-Cycle, a nonprofit Boulder recycling center that worked with the city and county to adopt the resolutions. "Voluntarily, these businesses have taken it upon themselves to do the right thing."

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Matsch and Eco-Cycle work with businesses to achieve zero- and less-waste goals. Regardless of whether it's a manufacturer, retailer or business office, the first...