The recent partnership of Q19 and Vestas can be considered a mutually sustainable relationship on every level. With triple-bottom-line values on both ends, Q19 and Vestas are supporting a new global trend in the way businesses are run, proving that it is indeed possible and profitable to respect employees and the environment. There may be a world of difference between scrubbing floors and building turbines, but both companies are paving the way to a sustainable future in a currently unsustainable business world.
Starting as a blacksmith shop in Denmark in 1898, Vestas is now the world-leader in modern wind energy, producing, transporting and installing wind turbines across the globe. This century-old company strives to ensure that wind energy will be perceived as a viable energy source for the future. This is no easy task in a world-economy reliant on oil and gas. However, where oil and gas are expensive to obtain, non-renewable, and the culprits of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases, wind is free, renewable and clean. Vestas can get a wind power-plant up and running in under a year, providing a quick return on investments while creating plenty of local jobs. The turbines are 80% recyclable and the company is constantly striving to improve the efficiency of production, transportation and function.
At Q19 we are also striving to ensure the success of environmentally sound practices. Our preferred method of transportation is bike, our cleaning products are non-toxic and plant-based, and while we aim to be as waste-free as possible, those products we do use are either recyclable or biodegradable. Likewise, we are actively involved in the local community and support local businesses.
So, though we may be scrubbing bathrooms while they are engineering turbines, our core values are one in the same. By supporting one another we are ensuring the success of sustainable practices on a local and global scale. By employing our services, Vestas helps sustain our local green-cleaning company and we in turn provide them with a clean, environmentally-friendly work environment in which to power the future with wind energy. - Rachel Klucewicz
Oregon Manifest, in collaboration with the Embassy of Denmark in Washington DC and the City of Portland, is hosting the U.S. debut of Dreams On Wheels‚ an internationally-traveling showcase of Danish cycling culture and Denmark’s commitment to sustainability via urban design.
Developed by curator Thomas Ermacora, in collaboration with Danish architect and urban design consultant Jan Gehl, Dreams On Wheels has shown in Paris, Edinburgh, Moscow, and London. Dreams On Wheels merges urban cycling culture, design intelligence, and environmental consciousness. Come see how cycling has transformed the transportation mix in Denmark!
The Danish Ambassador to the US, Friis Arne Petersen, will be on hand for the exhibit’s opening festivities, October 9 at 7 pm at the Oregon Manifest Bike Union storefront. Appearing October 29th will be Danish filmmaker Mikael Colville-Andersen, who is considered Copenhagen’s leading bicycle culture advocate and authors the www.copenhagencyclechic.com and www.copenhagenize.com blogs.
Dreams On Wheels will be open to the public for our entire six weekend run. Hours are 2PM to 7PM, Thur - Fri : 11AM to 5PM Sat - Sun
