Green Gunnison-Crested Butte

Help the Gunnison Valley reach its sustainability goals during your visit!

It all began in 2007, when Gunnison County and the towns of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte pledged to address energy use in our valley. Since, the communities wrote Energy Action Plans that aim to:

• Reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in its equivalent gases 20% below 2005 levels by 2020;
• Create voluntary and educational programs to make our buildings and vehicles more efficient and save citizens money; and
• Develop renewable sources of energy.

Tips

Below are some green tips for you during your stay.

Transportation:

• Take the free Mountain Express Bus when traveling between Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.
• Take the free Mountain Express Condo Loop bus when traveling between your condo/hotel and Mountaineer Square
• Take the RTA bus when traveling between Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte and Gunnison
• Crested Butte is only .7 square miles in size! So leave your car at your lodging and take a stroll around town
• Or, if you're in a hurry, cruise around in a rental bike from one of our local bike shops
• And if you're a night owl, take the Late Night Town Taxi, operated by the Alpine Express until 2:30 AM for a modest fee
• Don't rent a car! Let the The Alpine Express take care of all of your transportation needs

Make Less Trash:

• Bring or buy a reusable water bottle (Klean Kanteen) at a local shop and fill it up with our delicious tap water, rather than wasting money on bottled beverages
• Bring your own shopping bags to the store. If you do use plastic, recycle your plastic bags at Clark's Market (CB) or at City Market or Wal-Mart (Gunnison)
• Recycle your paper waste and magazines at the CB Post Office
• Ask your lodging if they will recycle your plastic, glass, newspapers and tin waste
• Try to pick up and discard or recycle one piece of litter (on the street or the trail) per day - every little bit counts!
• Check out ORE's Gunnison Valley Waste Guide for more information 

Use Less Water:

• Reuse your towels until they're dirty (hang them up on racks to indicate this to your housekeeper)
• Ask your lodging not to wash your linens during your stay
• Turn off the water when you're not using it
• Try to take shorter showers: the less time you spend in the bath, the more you can spend outside! 

Use Less Electricity:

• Turn off the lights in your hotel room and bathroom when not in use/when you leave
• Turn off the TV when no one's watching
• Unplug appliances (e.g. blow-dryers) and chargers when not in use
• Crack open a window before you pump up the AC
• Put on a layer before you crank up the heat  

Support:

• Support the local green businesses (link to http://www.resourceefficiency.org/energy-wise-business-program-0)
• Make a donation to the Office for Resource Efficiency to help them fund their efforts to make our Valley more sustainable
• Buy local! Crested Butte Farmers Markets are Sundays in June - October. Gunnison Farmers Markets are  Saturdays in June - October. Ask the restaurant you're dining at if they have any locally supplied meats or produce. Purchase products made in the Valley.
• Spread the word: to your fellow tourists and to the folks at home about what our Valley is doing and about how they can help to contribute to lowering global greenhouse gas emissions
• To offset the greenhouse gas emissions from your flight or drive here, make a donation to the Colorado carbon fund (http://www.coloradocarbonfund.org/)

Links:

• Energy Wise Business Program Participants: Local green businesses
• Gunnison Recycling Center location
• Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association: Information on how to enjoy your stay here
• The Office for Resource Efficiency: Local non-profit with multiple area programs (e.g. Energy Wise Business Program) and facilitator for the energy-planning process
• The Colorado Carbon Fund: Offset the emissions from your vacation 

Visit the ORE website by clicking here or on the logo below.  Learn about the Energy Wise Business program here.

Location: AnyAlmontCrested ButteCrystal ValleyGunnisonMt Crested ButtePitkin/Ohio City

Category: AnyBed and BreakfastCabinsCamping and RVCondos and HomesDude RanchesFull Service HotelsHostelsHotels Motels & InnsPet FriendlyProperty ManagementVacation Reservations

Keywords:

Follow Gunnison-Crested Butte at Our Other Online Locations: