HoSt Bio Energy Systems is one of our newest certified Green Businesses! We're excited to have them joining our network of businesses working to operate efficiently, reduce their environmental impact, and offer employees a healthy workplace. Read on to learn more about their hard work!

Can you describe the overall sustainability messaging of HoSt Bio Energy Systems?

"Our company's tag line is 'Empowering Sustainability Ambitions.' HoSt has been around since the early 90's turning waste into energy, or "Renewable Natural Gas." Cow manure, other animal manure and organic feedstocks, like food and municipal waste, are put through an anaerobic digestion process and is turned into methane and other gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen that can be used for energy and other valuable products.

The digesters are huge, around 100 feet in diameter, and act like a cow's stomach. The biogas produced can then be used as gas or injected into the electrical grid to power houses and cars. The process also turns the waste into other valuable commodities like nutrient-rich fertilizer and bedding for cows.

Overall, our company is built around sustainability and doing good for the environment."

What strides have you made in the past year to achieve your sustainability goals?

"Our CEO talks about our output in terms of number of cars taken off the road. This year our goal is to create enough energy that equates to 200,000 cars taken off the road. Worldwide, our plants help produce over 16,000 gigawatts per year of renewable energy and we're hoping to increase that each year.

In the office, in less than two months, we've been busy as bees achieving our sustainability goals. We created our green team on February 8 and since then we've eliminated plastic water bottles, supported local businesses, implemented new recycling programs, educated our colleagues on recycling best practices, as well as planned an Earth Day Extravaganza to celebrate our recent Clark County Green Business certification."

What measures do you take to minimize waste generation within your business? Do you encourage composting for your employees and customers? If so, how?

"Prior to establishing our green team in February, our office was already a paperless office and both lunchrooms had reusable food service ware. We were also composting. Since the green team's first meeting on February 8, we have:

• Purchased LifeStraw glass water pitchers to replace the plastic water bottles.
• Signed up for Ridwell. Now we are recycling batteries, plastic film, multi-layer plastics, clam shells, Styrofoam and so much more!
• Improved our recycling signage. Our goal is for recycling to be easy as 1, 2, 3.
• Visited Kindred Homestead Supply, a local business, to check out their composting area and bulk refill items. When our current inventory is depleted, our hand soaps, cleaning solutions and sponges will be sourced from them, and we will be taking our coffee and food waste to their composting area.
• Published a Green Team quarterly newsletter focused on educating our colleagues on our new eco-services and spotlighting local businesses.
• Welcomed Waste Connections Commercial Recycling Educator, Marcus Merlonghi. Marcus reviewed the recycling education presentation and recycling best practices.
• Contacted Clark County Green Business to begin the certification process!

And that's just the beginning!"

How do you engage employees in sustainable initiatives? What steps have you taken to promote a culture of sustainability among your staff?

"All employees are part of our overall initiative in creating renewable energy and supporting a circular, green economy. We always pull back to sustainability in all that we do.

We also prioritize employee green training. As I mentioned previously, we welcomed Waste Connections, and they reviewed the recycling education presentation and recycling best practices, and we published our first Green Team quarterly newsletter. Also, in our HoSt monthly team meeting, the green team continues to educate our HoSt group team on our sustainable initiatives."

Please tell us any other ways your company supports our community.

"In honor of Earth Day and to celebrate our Clark County Green Business certification, our first event, Earth Day Extravaganza, will be April 12. We'll be picking up trash around our downtown office and providing our colleagues with vegetarian snacks and wildflower seed packets to help beautify the community."

What are your company's future sustainability goals for 2024 and beyond? How do you plan to hold your company accountable for achieving them?

"We are just getting started, but one of our future goals is to plan and execute three community based green initiatives in 2024, such as trash pickup and downtown beautification. In our next Green Team monthly meeting we will be discussing this further.

This is just the beginning!"

Is there anything else you would like to talk about that you feel we haven't covered here?

"As a business we are committed to sustainability efforts through our technology and products. We are also committed to sustainability as a business and helping employees understand how they can be part of the effort."