Havre businesses recognized as EcoStar Pollution Prevention award winners

Press release

BOZEMAN — Havre’s Triple Dog Brewing Co. and Vilicus Farms were among the businesses Montana State University Extension and Gov. Steve Bullock recently recognized as this year’s EcoStar award winners for their pollution prevention efforts and statewide leadership.

The EcoStar awards program, now in its 18th year, recognizes Montana businesses that support environmentally and economically sustainable communities by conserving water, energy and clean air and which serve as role models by surpassing state and federal requirements to reduce solid and hazardous waste.

“Pollution prevention efforts have positive results for businesses, including creating a safer working environment, reducing hazards to public health and the environment, improving their public image and saving money,” said Jenny Grossenbacher, director of the Montana Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Program for MSU Extension.

This year’s 22 award winners represent 18 Montana communities. The awardees, who were honored during a reception with the governor at the Montana Capitol on April 24, included businesses in the agriculture, food, manufacturing, hospitality, medical and service industries, as well as an MSU Extension agent.

“This year, the 22 EcoStar award winners saved over 32.4 million gallons of water, conserved 448,768 kilowatt hours of electricity, reduced 2.2 million pounds of solid waste and 6,690 pounds of hazardous waste, eliminated the equivalent of 80,213 metric tons of carbon dioxide and saved $518,449 through their pollution prevention efforts,” Grossenbacher said. 

Those contributions are noteworthy, she added. Examples include MacKenzie River Pizza Co.’s “straws upon request” program to reduce plastic waste and a new director of sustainability position; Loren’s Auto Repair in Kalispell using a waste oil-fired boiler system to heat the shop, reuse waste oil and save electricity; and Triple Dog Brewing’s donation of spent barley to the city of Havre, which the city then uses instead of chemicals in its waste water treatment plant. 

“These EcoStar award winners are leaders for our state, and their efforts are making a significant impact on Montana’s environment and economy,” Grossenbacher said. “Even more notable than the numbers are their vision and leadership, as well as their innovation and inspiration.”

Bullock said during the event that he was impressed by the awardees.

“The pollution prevention work you do is not just the right thing to do for the environment. You do it for all the right reasons, but ultimately, you know it’s also, long-term, the right thing to do for your bottom line,” he said. “Making your business energy efficient is the smart thing to do. It’s smart for your business. It’s smart for our state, and it’s also smart for the generations like the third graders I just met with before coming out here to honor you.”

Businesses recognized with EcoStar awards in 2018 are listed by city below. An asterisk denotes businesses that also received recognition from the EcoStar program in previous years.

Multiple locations:

• *MacKenzie River Pizza Co. — Belgrade, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Missoula, Polson, Whitefish

• *Delaware North Co. Parks and Resorts at Yellowstone — Bozeman, Yellowstone National Park

• *Xanterra at Glacier National Park — Columbia Falls, Glacier National Park

Anaconda

• 406 Bistro — Billings

• GTUIT — Boulder

• Boulder Hot Springs Inn, Spa and Retreat — Bozeman

• Bozeman Brewing Company

• *EcoMontana

• Farmented Foods

• *Glo Luxury Oils

• Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting

• Montana Ale Works

• *Mint Dental Studio

• Sasquatch Fuel

• *Shaggy Bear Farm

• *Simms Fishing — Glendive

• Bruce Smith, MSU Extension agent — Havre

• Triple Dog Brewing Co.

• Vilicus Farms — Kalispell

• Loren’s Auto Repair — Missoula

• *Bayern Brewing — West Glacier

• Glacier Guides and Montana Raft Company

For more information on the EcoStar program and detailed descriptions of individual businesses, contact Grossenbacher at 406-994-4292, jenniferg@montana.edu or visit http://www.mtp2.org/ecostar.html/.