MaineBusiness.com

When Josh Davis, owner of the Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick, hosted an event in 2008 for local business owners interested in being more environmentally responsible, he had no idea it would change so many of his business decisions.

It was there that Davis first learned about the state’s Environmental Leaders program for hotels and restaurants, and decided to look into certification.

Getting started with the Environmental Leaders program was easy enough. The program provides participants with a checklist of actions they can take to reduce their ecological impact. Business owners simply indicate the items that are already in place, and receive a set number of points for each one.

After that, the program requires businesses to show improvement each year by increasing their point totals.

“I like that the Environmental Leaders program places an emphasis on making small decisions that add up to significant environmental impact,” said Davis.

“They don’t expect you to do everything on day one, but to have a cumulative effect through gradual improvement.”

One recent change Davis made was to begin purchasing electricity from clean, natural sources that produce no carbon emissions. In addition, 1 percent of his payment will be donated to support research and development for new clean energy technology.

Clean energy was something Davis had been interested anyway, but the decision was made even easier by the fact that his new energy provider is also cheaper. He expects the business to save about $1,200 on its electric bills over the coming year.

“That’s a great example of a decision that’s not only good for the environment, it’s also a smart business decision,” said Davis.

Over the summer, Davis hired an electrician to install light dimmers in areas that weren’t continually occupied. Though the work cost him some money up front, he expects the improvement to pay for itself in energy savings in just a few months.

At the same time, Davis inquired about putting a timer on his outdoor lights, but found the cost too prohibitive, with too long of a payback period.

“It’s something I want to do at some point. It will save us money in the long run, it would make our lives easier, and it would be great to do, but it’s just not feasible right now,” said Davis.

Instead Davis has focused on making changes that cost little more than a bit of extra attention to realize. Since the Gelato Fiasco entered the Environmental Leaders program, staff have begun to shut down unneeded freezers overnight, and to turn off computers when they’re not in use.

Through slight behavioral changes like that, Davis has seen the Gelato Fiasco’s monthly electric bills decrease by $200 since he first opened in 2007.

He’s tried to look at other aspects of the business with an eye toward less waste, too. When the Gelato Fiasco first opened, staff used to change every bag in ever trash can every night, whether or not they were actually full. Now, employees wait until the bags are nearly full – usually a couple of days – to replace them.

In addition to recycling as much as possible, and donating coffee ground to a local farmer for compost, Davis tries to find creative ways to reuse disposable items.

For instance, the cocoa powder used to produce several of the shop’s gelato flavors comes in five kilo buckets. Davis used to put those buckets into the recycling bin and forget all about them. When he realized he was paying good money to buy empty five kilo buckets for mixing and storing ingredients, he began to reuse the cocoa buckets for that purpose. That one change saves the business more than $500 over the course of a year.

Davis also encourages his customers to get into the act, by offering a 10¢ discount on every cup of coffee ordered in a mug, rather than a disposable paper cup. The discount inspires a lot of customers use a mug, which reduces waste and while saving Davis money on cups and lids.

Not every environmentally responsible decision Davis makes saves the Gelato Fiasco money. Since he opened, Davis has been passionate about using as many locally grown, organic ingredients as possible in his gelato. Though the ingredients are slightly more expensive, he believes they add value to his product – value his customers are willing to pay extra for.

“People feel better about food from local growers. It increases their perception of the value of our product, so we make more money in the long run,” said Davis.

“Besides, it also tastes great. If it didn’t, I wouldn’t go for it. When you buy locally, you create relationships with the producer. They’re proud of their product, and if they put out an inferior product, they know they’ll have to face you at the grocery store.”

Davis is now in the process of working on the Gelato Fiasco’s recertification with the Environmental Leaders program. As part of that process, he is investigating approved cleaning supplies. So far, that’s been one of the most difficult steps for him, as he searches for a line of products that meets environmental standards, while also keeping the Gelato Fiasco spic and span. It’s one area where he is willing to take his time to find the right solution for his business.

“There is no silver bullet for making sweeping environmental change, especially in an organization of only 10 to 12 people. It’s small things that, because you do them 360 times over the course of a year, add up to big changes,” said Davis.

“I don’t think we’re doing as much as we possibly could. We’ll always have room to grow, to do more, and I think that’s great.”

For more information on the Gelato Fiasco, visit www.gelatofiasco.com.