(Photo by Christina Estes - KJZZ)

Paper recyling bin.

The Tempe Chamber of Commerce has launched a program to get more businesses across the state to reduce their environmental impact. It’s designed to attract single proprietors all the way up to companies with thousands of employees.

Tempe’s initiative is based on “The Pledge for a Sustainable Community," an online resource designed by the Burnaby Board of Trade and Sustainability in Canada. 

Their thinking goes like this: business is no longer driven by a single bottom line. Instead, it’s about a triple bottom line: economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Tempe Chamber President and CEO Mary Ann Miller said some business owners think practicing sustainability can be confusing or costly. Miller said some actions will save money, like when she recently signed an office lease and requested motion sensors. 

“So the lights will turn off when the rooms are not being used,” she said. “There are ways that talk about what we’re purchasing. Looking at do we really need this stuff? Let’s just reuse what we have.”

The site provides practical tips in five categories: energy, water, travel, waste and purchasing. The tips are broken down based on three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.

The program is free and available to all businesses across Arizona. Participants are asked to sign a pledge and share their success stories on the site.