Green growth

Tracy Montarti started a business in Dormont, called In the Loop Inc., that helps small to midsize businesses save money by being "ecoconscious."

Josh Knauer and Ed Heal in January opened TogetherWorks, a local firm that distributes environmentally friendly cleaning products. Bill Sandherr, president of Stetson Convention Services, took a "green" turn with his convention contracting and decorating business. Giant Eagle touted the "green" design and operations practices it will apply to an expanded Shadyside grocery store.

Each local business aims to make money. Rather than seeing a tree-hugger approach as a liability, they're seizing it as a competitive advantage.

A conference at Duquesne University today, called "Taking the Green MarketPlace Global: Making it happen in Pittsburgh," aims to help more businesses try environmentally friendly approaches to cutting costs and growing revenues. Its specific goal is to find more local businesses willing to partner with Latin American suppliers of products that are better for the earth and made by workers who are treated humanely.

The conference reflects a shifting reality in American culture, said Shaun Paul, executive director of EcoLogic, a Cambridge, Mass.-based development fund that is hosting today's conference, which is free and runs from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

"The bottom line is consumer tastes and preferences are changing. Eighty percent of Americans believe we need to do more about the environment," Paul said.

As a result, more businesses are marketing themselves as "green." In addition to selling products that are better for the earth, they're promoting their own efforts to cut waste and improve efficiency. In some cases, they're also saving money through better environmental practices.

Montarti, who founded In the Loop Inc. in April, believes she can make money for herself by helping other firms go green. She touts membership in her company as a way to get fast and practical advice about running an environmentally friendly business.

"There is so much going on, with waste audits, pollution prevention and green buildings," she said of the reasons she founded her company.

Large companies have the time and resources to seek out better environmental practices, but for smaller business, "Even if you're really motivated, it would be difficult to figure out who can help you do that," she said. "You'd really have to go digging for that information. What I wanted to do was bring all that information together for them."

She's found quick ways to cut costs. For instance, switching to reused toner cartridges in office printers can save businesses between 30 percent and 70 percent for a product that she said meets quality standards higher than for brand-new cartridges.

Using nontoxic cleaning products also can save money, she said. Using energy-efficient lights and computer "sleep" modes also can save thousands of dollars over time.

Montarti's members join buying pools, in which she negotiates contracts to buy environmentally friendly products at better prices.

She makes money for herself through commissions from her clients and from suppliers.

Companies can save money in the short term as they become better stewards of the earth, but it's also possible to ensure more long-term profitability by adopting an environmental ethic, Montarti and others agreed.

"Large companies are realizing this, too," said Josh Knauer, who in 1998 founded GreenMarketplace.com, a Squirrel Hill firm that sold socially and environmentally responsible products. He sold the business to a competitor last year. In January, he and a colleague started TogetherWorks, a distributor of nontoxic cleaning products.

"The reason Ford Motor Co. is redesigning its manufacturing facilities, to be close to zero emissions, is because in the end, they're going to make more money doing that."

Giant Eagle also hopes to boost sales with a greener strategy, said Giant Eagle Director of Conservation Jim Lampl. The grocery chain has partnered with Pittsburgh-based Green Building Alliance to build an efficient grocery store, with more natural light and fresher air. In addition to affecting morale and worker productivity, Lampl said, the strategy can improve sales.