Kicking off a sustainable new year!

Wooden Robot was a popular venue for our Five Year Birthday Bash last month, so we returned last Tuesday to host our first Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer of 2016! More than 70 of you joined us to learn what we’re working on for the new year and to hear about the sustainability practices of our Bronze Partner, Domtar.

We’re thrilled to share the news that we raised over $300 at the mixer through our raffle for a quality used bicycle donated by Trips For Kids Charlotte! We know some of you REALLY wanted to win that bike, but you can still find a winning deal by checking out the Re-Cyclery‘s many awesome bikes available for purchase. They have an incredible variety of adult and children’s bikes in stock now. Proceeds from their sales support Trips For Kids’ efforts to provide hands-on cycling education and experiences to Charlotte area youth. Talk about a win-win situation!

Bike as raffle prize

The proud winner of our raffle prize, a bicycle donated by Trips For Kids Charlotte!

Luke Nortz addressed the audience on the topic of sustainability in paper manufacturing and distribution. Domtar is North America’s largest producer of uncoated freesheet paper. In other words, the type of paper we commonly use in printers. They’ve reduced greenhouse gas emissions nine percent from 2010 levels, an are aiming for a 15 percent reduction by 2020. You may have seen reams of EarthChoice paper at your local office supply store. But EarthChoice is much more than just the name of the paper line. It’s also Domtar’s industry-leading sustainability platform. It covers where fiber comes from, how products are made, responsible usage, and recycling or next life of paper products. Our 2014 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Sustainability Report Card (a great downloadable read if you want to quickly catch up on local sustainability trends) was printed on paper donated by Domtar, and we use their EarthChoice paper in our office.

If you missed the January mixer or just can’t wait for the next one, mark your calendar for Tuesday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m. We’ll be back at Wooden Robot Brewery for craft beer, networking, and a special message from our Gold Partner #thesavageway!

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