Moving People Towards Greener Transportation and Sustainable Business Operations

Santa Barbara (SB) Airbus is a transportation company that has implemented model green business measures in all areas of their operations. They use a water-conserving electric Eco-Power Brush and biodegradable soap when cleaning buses. Their energy and water bills are kept low by using LED lighting, motion detectors, low-flow fixtures, drought resistant landscaping, and a hybrid electric water heater. They installed 134 solar panels on the roof of their headquarters building that should pay for itself in 5-7 years while meeting 75% of their electric power needs.

Additionally, SB Airbus reduces their waste in many ways. They discourage the use of disposable paper products and provide reusable dishware for food and drink consumption.  The employees manage a small vegetable garden and started a composting program using food waste. They redesigned their Daytrip Calendar from a glossy 10 page newsletter to an electronic version, thereby reducing the amount of paper used by tens of thousands of pages every year.

SB Airbus also implemented a very successful waste reduction program that includes reusing envelopes and shipping boxes, and placing recycling containers in convenient locations for use by staff and bus passengers.

SB Airbus goes beyond solely being a transportation provider and encourages alternative transportation for its employees and community. The majority of SB Airbus employees walk, ride the bus, skate, or bike to work. The office provides on-site bike storage, showers, and locker facilities for their bike commuters and offers cash rewards to employees that use alternative forms of transportation. Moreover, SB Airbus participates in the local Traffic Solutions Emergency Ride Home Program for Santa Barbara region employees who ride share. This creates an incentive to ride share for regional employees who are worried about not having personal transportation in case of an emergency.

SB Airbus is a certified Santa Barbara County Green Business that is recognized for its sustainable actions by the community. All employees are trained in SB Airbus’ green practices and give tours and lectures about their practices to K-12 and college students. The company also assists other local businesses in getting certified through the Santa Barbara County Green Business Program and provides bus transportation to the annual awards ceremony. Through the service they provide, SB Airbus takes cars off the roads and reduces traffic and vehicle emissions; through the green actions they take, they are a role model for other businesses!