Posted everywhere — hallways, offices, break rooms — at the Bunn Corporation’s Springfield manufacturing facility on Stevenson Drive is a placard with a stylized logo of a green plant that says “Respect Earth” and reads:

Recognizing that our business operation impacts the total environment, “Respect Earth” reflects BUNN’s continuing focus on preserving the earth for future generations throughout our supply chain. We are driven to continually identify ways to incorporate this respect for our natural resources into our daily business practices and products.

The first meeting of the Sustainable Springfield Business Forum will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Prairie Heart Center’s Dove Conference Center at Sixth and Mason streets. The meeting is free and open to the public.

“Respect Earth” is what environmental sustainability is all about.

The process of integrating environmentally sustainable methods and practices in the manufacturing and distribution of their commercial beverage equipment has been, for the past two years, a prime goal of this business.

Founded by George Bunn in 1957, the company’s products, manufactured under the name of Bunn-O-Matic, have been synonymous with its coffee makers, which are a Springfield trademark. The commitment to sustainable business practices prompted the company’s current CEO, Hy Bunn, and the board of directors, to create the position of “vice-president for sustainability” as an integral player on the company’s corporate man agement team.

Bob Kobylarz, a manufacturing engineer by profession, is the current holder of this position and his enthusiasm for the job knows no bounds. With the blessings of the corporation, he now wants to share his company’s sustainable practices by forming a group geared specifically for Springfield businesses. The idea first sparked when he and Wynne Coplea, the city’s recycling coordinator, brainstormed about how Bunn’s successes could be shared with other businesses.

The group that resulted, to be called the Sustainable Springfield Business Forum, will function under the auspices of the not-forprofit local environmental advocacy group, Sustainable Springfield Inc. (SSI).

Formed on Earth Day in April 2007, SSI is an information-sharing network that holds monthly public presentations, conducts field trips and maintains an informative Web site (www.SustainableSpringfield.org) and blog. It acts as a clearinghouse for local environmental groups by publishing a monthly calendar via e-mail. The adoption of a forum that promotes environmental sustainability for businesses is a logical function of its mission.

“We are willing to share Bunn’s experiences and accomplishments with recycling and other practices to help the initiative get started,” Kobylarz says. “A lot of the green movement has been focused on bike paths, refrigerator recycling, homeowner practices, etc. Now we need to focus on priorities for businesses.”

To many, sustainable business practices mean maintaining a well-run and profitable concern. “The business model and the environmental model should be connected so that both can be successful at the same time,” says Kobylarz.

Bunn has implemented many sustainable practices. While it is an industrial manufacturer (a rarity in Springfield these days), many of its practices can be easily implemented by any kind of business: service, retail, institutional, governmental, manufacturing. They can apply to offices, stores, warehouses, clinics or other workplace settings.

One key element to the success of Bunn’s green practices is the involvement of its employees. According to Bruce Bradbury,