Bluegrass Greensource hosts inagural event to help create sustainability in local businesses

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – For the very first time, local businesses are joining together to make the Bluegrass green!

“The idea is to get business leaders to talk about all levels of sustainability, anywhere from waste to water to grant funding,” shared Rachel Skinner, Business Outreach Coordinator.

Bluegrass Greensource’s inaugural Green Business Innovation Forum invites business organizations to experience panels, breakout groups, and networking to brainstorm ways to be more sustainable in workplace practices, and explore zero-waste solutions.

Executive Director Amy Sohner hopes this kickstarts a big change.

“I want them to walk away feeling empowered, but I want them tomorrow or Monday to go back into their office and do something for the environment,” shared Sohner.

She explained that at the core of the event is the desire to connect with businesses of all sizes to meet their needs and inform employees.

“If you’re a small business, you want to do the right thing but you’re so stretched with resources and money. We want to make sure that you have the resources and tools so you can understand that you can make a difference. If you’re a big business, they have these large, global goals, but you have employees that don’t understand the carbon cycle or what a carbon footprint is,” shared Sohner.

Organizers say they want to continue these meetings in the future.

One keynote speaker for the forum is chef Ouita Michel. She’s discussing sustainable practices in unconventional workspaces such as restaurants.

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