I recently got the chance to chat with Christopher Loch, owner of CONTEMPL8 T-Shirts, a 100% wind-powered screen printing operation in south Minneapolis, where they’re also doing everything they can to save energy.
Dan Thiede: Can you tell me more about your business?
Christopher Loch: We use 100% windpower to power our screen printing operation in south Minneapolis, and we also only use eco-friendly water-based ink, and do many many other eco things with our business. We have an eco-minded approach that always asks if everything we are doing is as green as it can be.
Dan: What is it that inspires you to be an eco-conscious company?
Christopher: Since grade school when we read “The Energy Crunch” pamphlet in class, I have been an environmentalist. I’ve recycled religiously since then, scolding my parents when they didn’t recycle things. I have also been involved with environmental activism over the years. So it’s no surprise that I would be interested in having a green business.
Dan: What do you do in your shop to save energy?
Christopher: In the shop I use a muscle-powered press rather than an automatic. I also use high efficiency flourescent lights, power down computers at night, keep the heat set to 60 in the winter, use weatherstripping, and use 100% windpower for electricity. Oh, and I enjoy riding my bike to work as often as possible. I live within two miles of my store.
Dan: How does Windsource from Xcel Energy work? Would you recommend it to others?
Christopher: Windsource is great! I signed up for 100% rather than just buying a block or two, so no matter how much electricity I use it’s not producing carbon. The cost is more than normal electricity, but not by much. I think it is worth it because I want to do everything I can to protect the environment. I didn’t go to business school and I’m not looking to get filthy rich. My business practices are motivated by my eco-conscious values more than anything else.
Dan: How does being an eco-friendly business impact your bottom line?
Christopher: Just like windpower is not as expensive as people might think, our eco-friendly t-shirt printing isn’t a luxury item. I like to say we are both sustainable and affordable. Even though we pay a little more for water-based inks and wind power, we are actually very competitively priced. We make less margin than other printers, but we feel good about it.
You can learn more about CONTEMPL8 on their website, and find out more about Windsource from Xcel Energy for your business or residence if you’re interested in that program.
