Local businesses push for environment, profits
Running a profitable business in Santa Monica doesn’t require treading on the environment.
Just look at David Lackman, owner of the Library Alehouse on Main Street.
Lackman for years composted his customers’ leftovers in back-yard garden beds rather than throw them away.
When the city launched a program earlier this year enabling local merchants to recycle unused food, Lackman was first to jump on the bandwagon.
And while the “red wiggler” worms in his Ocean Park garden miss out on half-eaten mahi burgers and side orders of onion rings, Lackman has earned the praise of fellow businesses and city officials.
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday announced four grand prize winners of the eighth annual Sustainable Quality Awards, recognizing successful businesses that are socially responsible and environmentally friendly.
The Alehouse took the top honors at the chamber’s luncheon, with Lackman’s commitment to recycling, water preservation and sponsorship of local clean-ups being at the forefront of his qualifications.
“Everything done at the Alehouse is done with a higher purpose in mind,” said Deborah Davis, who emceed the event. Davis is a past winner of the award for her company Cleaner by Nature, a local business that offers alternatives to dry cleaning.
Lackman, who told attendees his restaurant has many more changes still to make, encouraged other merchants to contact the city about their sustainable business programs.
“It’s the right thing to do,” said Lackman, who opened his restaurant in 1995. “I care about the planet and I care about Santa Monica.”
“It’s the right thing to do. I care about the planet and I care about Santa Monica.” — — DAVID LACKMAN Library Alehouse, owner
Zuma Jay Boardinghouse, Santa Monica- UCLA Medical Center and the Real Earth Environmental Company also took home grand prize awards for sustainability.
ZJ Boardinghouse, a surf, snow and skate shop, was recognized for using materials that aren’t abrasive to the environment and for an electrical retrofit that has cut their energy costs by 45 percent.
Chamber officials also pointed to ZJ’s employee relations. ZJ employees enjoy matching IRA plans and a profit-based bonus program.
What’s more, 50 percent of ZJ’s staff is local and commute to work exclusively on skateboards, Davis said.
Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center also took home an award. The 337-bed hospital employs more than 1,200 workers and was recognized for progressive benefit packages and employee feedback programs.
The hospital was praised for instituting a chemical waste reduction program that has reduced medical waste over the past two years by 45 percent.
The fourth winner of the award this year was a super small company.
With only three full-time employees, the Real Earth Environmental Company, which sells a wide variety of environmentally friendly business supplies, still manages to provide workers full health insurance and a profit sharing plan. They also use all environmentally products themselves.
Four companies received the Excellence Award for Stewardship of the Natural Environment at the event.
Real Food Daily, Vidiots, Mani’s Bakery and Duke’s of Malibu were honored for incorporating sustainable practices into their everyday efforts.
“These businesses... are real leaders in our community,” said Dean Kubani, the city’s sustainability coordinator. “We as residents and business leaders in our community should be very proud.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 7, 2003. Read the original PDF.