SIFE team receives Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Award

Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 534 hits

Penn State Altoona's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team received the first ever Sustainability Award from the Blair County Chamber of Commerce at its annual Hall of Fame dinner, on Monday, October 15.

This award was created by the Chamber to provide public recognition and education about Blair County businesses which have implemented or developed sustainable business practices. Any initiative defined by a triple bottom line of profits, people, and planet resulting in a positive contribution to the business was considered for the award.

SIFE was recognized for a recycling project at Nittany Pointe in collaboration with Waste Management and the Intermunicipal Relations Committee Council of Governments (IRC). The project educated residents on the importance of recycling, raised awareness of recycling practices, and offered incentives to promote positive recycling habits.

Since the Nittany Pointe project, SIFE's Go Green team has successfully completed energy and waste audits at WPS, a Chamber member. These audits were accomplished in partnership with the IRC and The Hite Company, also Chamber members. The audits resulted in cost savings and revenue generation in excess of a quarter of a million dollars over the next five years for WPS.

Currently, SIFE is working with the IRC to develop and implement a recycling program for Sheetz. Other interested companies are invited to reach out to the team to create a more sustainable future and improve the quality of life in Blair County.

Photo caption: Pictured with the award are Justin Cook, Nittany Pointe project manager, Chancellor Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry, and SIFE advisor Cynthia Wood.