Green Tucson Businesses

Eco-conscious visitors will be pleased to find that many of Tucson's businesses strive to "green" their practices, with many going above and beyond to conserve water and energy while preventing pollution and making a smaller "footprint" on the Old Pueblo.

Based out of Tucson, Arizona, Sonoran Adventures was founded by a team of outdoor educators and adventure guides passionate about the exploration and conservation of the natural world. Priding itself on its knowledge of the "green" movement, all staff is trained in the Leave No Trace principals of outdoor ethics. Clients are also advised on sustainable exploration and green living through tours using only human-powered energy transportation, locally grown food, and water bottles that have a useful life of 15 years (either stainless steel or Nalgene CFC-free) - no throwaway plastic containers. All products used on tours are biodegradable - including soaps - to ensure minimal impact on the environment.

Eco-conscious adrenaline junkies can get a guilt-free fix scaling the walls at Tucson's downtown rock gym, Rocks & Ropes. This earth-friendly climber's haven is on track to become LEED gold or silver certified in 2009. Currently, the gym uses water-efficient fixtures like waterless urinals, as well as recycled paper products. The office has switched to paperless billing, and actively recycles an array of materials. Rocks & Ropes uses CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs for lighting, and chlorine-free paper products.

Tucson International Airport: TAA's environmental efforts have been evident for many years. In 1980 the Authority converted much of the airport's vegetation to Xeriscape and in 1988 received an Award of Excellence from the Southern Arizona Water Resources Association. In 1999 TAA was a Governor's Pride in Arizona Award winner for a fuel recovery system. In 2003 TAA was presented an award by the International Dark Sky Association for significantly reducing uplighting into the nighttime skies with low-level fixtures. That same year TAA was awarded the 2003 Annual Transportation Award by the Metropolitan Energy Commission for efforts on behalf of the metropolitan area to facilitate the opening and operation of Tucson's first publicly accessible Compressed Natural Gas fueling facility.

Arizona Lithographers is setting the bar high for eco-friendly Tucson businesses. This company is U.S. EPA Energy-Star certified, Green Seal certified, Clean Watts certified, and an EPA Green Power Partner. Beyond those stellar certifications, Arizona Lithographers is powered by 100 percent clean wind power, and uses earth-friendly vegetable oil-based inks in its work. The company recycles a wide variety of materials, and utilizes water-soluble chemicals in its cleaning products.

The company's award-winning work includes Builder Magazine, a quarterly publication produced for the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association (SAHBA). The magazine recently was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an official "green" publication. Builder Magazine is printed at Arizona Lithographers with wind-powered energy. Participating in the Clean Watts program at Arizona Lithographers helps finance the growth of the wind-energy industry. For SAHBA, printing the magazine green is more than an innovative trend; it's a long-term commitment to the association's environmental awareness.

The core mission of Rammed Earth Development is to promote elegant, energy-efficient housing in Tucson. The company helps its clients select the best materials and technologies to minimize their home's energy consumption, and builds a variety of energy-efficient walls, including rammed earth, pressed earth block, adobe, insulated concrete block and more. Rammed Earth Development is U.S. EPA Energy Star-certified, and was awarded the 2002 City of Tucson Home Energy Award. In addition to recycling and using non-toxic cleaning products and chlorine-free paper products, Rammed Earth also xeriscapes and installs low-flow toilets, urinals and showers in its homes. The company puts in energy-efficient hot water re-circulation pumps, and installs solar power in many of its homes.