The Carbon Lite Lunch (CLL) is a fun, casual, informative way to raise awareness of ways employees and businesses can reduce their output of green house gasses.  

Businesses in Chittenden County interested in reducing their carbon footprint may take part in the free CLL program that has been developed by the Vermont Earth Institute in partnership with Chittenden Solid Waste District and Alliance for Climate Action/10 Percent Challenge. With the permission of the business, green house gas output is estimated using existing utility, trash/recycling bills, and average commute for employees, prior to CLL program.  

Next, CLL staff will visit with your group of 10-20 employees and go through a checklist, leading an exchange of questions and information, discussing strategies for reducing output of greenhouse gases and providing resources for information and follow-up actions.  Employees are invited to continue the lunch discussion on a monthly basis for six months. After six months, utility, trash/recycling bills and average commute distances are recalculated by CLL and employees/businesses can see the greenhouse gas emissions that they saved.

The purpose of a Carbon Lite Lunch (CLL) Workshop is to motivate employees and employers to reduce their waste and use of toxic products, and to promote more efficient transportation and energy use in the workplace. CLL Workshops are group activities where specific strategies are discussed, resulting in group support and reinforcement for taking action and changing behavior.

Prior to the workshop, the facilitator will meet with a workplace representative to learn of particular concerns, goals, and programs concerning waste, transportation, energy reduction and toxics in the workplace.  The facilitator will, with the business’s permission, obtain a baseline of transportation, energy use and waste generated prior to the workshop and measurements 6 months later.

The CLL Workshop offers both an opportunity to build employee “buy-in” for “greening” the business and allows employees to participate in helping increase the environmental and economic performance of the business.

For more information, or to schedule a Carbon Lite Lunch workshop at your workplace, please contact Leah Wittenberg, Vermont Earth  Institute Coordinator, 343-1956 or veicoordinator@yahoo.com.