Green CertificationGreen Practices & Giving Back
We seek to educate our clients and students through our practices, and reduce our carbon footprint in a variety of ways.
In recognition of our efforts, the Massage Therapy Institute of MO (MTIM) and the Greenway Massage TEAM (GMT) are certified by GreenMassage. GreenMassage.Org certifies Individual practitioners, Group practices, and Massage Schools/Providers for their dedication and commitment to GREEN business practices.
Green Is The Way!
See www.greenmassage.org for more information, or to sign up for the newsletter.
Green business is not just about energy conservation. Truly Green businesses demonstrate a commitment to the local economy and support for charitable organizations.
Greenway Massage set the standard in mid-Missouri for green practices and charitable giving. Our past history included being members of COLORS, (Columbia Locally-Owned Retailers and Service organizations). Find out more at www.colorsalliance.org, an affiliate of the American Independent Business Alliance, or www.amiba.net
Our charitable giving consisted of sponsorships to nature and health-related organizations, and income percentage pledges. We were sponsors for Off-track Events www.offtrackevents.com, Missouri River Relief www.riverrelief.org, the GreenBelt Land Trust Coalition, and the Columbia Climate Change Coalition www.columbiaclimatechangecoalition.org
While an active clinic, we regularly donated our gift certificates to local charitable events for their fundraising efforts. Our "Give 'em Five" program donated 5% of income for the months that we were not active sponsors of a local event, and inspired many independent therapists to continue this giving.
Our TEAM members formerly maintained an Adopt-a-Spot at the intersection of W Broadway & Fairview through our city's Public Works program, and Owner Mirra Greenway is a city volunteer through the Parks & Recreation Treekeepers and Bluebird Nesting Box programs.
We've always been GREEN!
All our facilities utilize energy conservation, recycling, organic oils and lotions, and natural cleaning supplies.
MTIM is a member of the Teleosis Institute www.teleosis.org to help fund Green Health Care advances.
Textbooks for our students and faculty are purchased exclusively through the Peace Nook, an all-volunteer, non-profit resource center operated by Mid-MO Peaceworks www.midmopeaceworks.org
MTIM and GMT are Green Office Certified in terms of our paper supply purchases. We utilize www.greenerprinter.com and www.greenlinepaper.com
The Greenway Massage Team also supports local artists with our gallery openings once per quarter during a Downtown District event known as Artrageous Fridays www.artrageousfridays.com Our emphasis is on newly-presenting artists, many with their first showing on our walls.
It is rarely possible to be "carbon-neutral", or to leave no energy footprint, due to such things as outdated building codes or lack of energy choices. "Offsetting" is a way to makeup for the limitations of our energy consumption. We help to neutralize the carbon footprint of our classrooms and clinics by purchasing offsets through www.carbonfund.org
Measure your footprint on their site. Or, as we like to think of it, your HANDPRINT!
Please take steps to be more green. One important change we can make is to STOP using plastic water bottles, which wind up degrading as tiny particles of plastic "sand" on the ocean floor. They are impossible to reclaim, and are changing the sea/riverscapes forever as an unprecedented base for coral reefs and bottom-feeders.
MTIM and GMT have always supplied reverse-osmosis water from a cooler for students and clients. Paper cups are recycled, and students are encouraged to bring and fill their own water bottles during class time. The cooler is unplugged except during the hot Summer months.
OUR MASSAGE AND SPA PRODUCTS
Very few massage oils and lotions are certified Organic or Fair Trade. While many have natural and organic ingredients, we should have the same assurances for what we put on our bodies as what we put in our mouths. MTIM and GMT pay higher prices for the products from smaller companies in order to have this assurance for our students and clients.
Products in use have met these standards or are in review for certification. We proudly offer the following:
MASSAGE OILS/LOTIONS: Bon Vital Organica, Sacred Earth
MASSAGE EQUIPMENT: Custom Craftworks, Earthlite, Oakworks
BODY CARE: Bella Lucce, Celestial body, Inara, Lluvia, Swirl Soaps
NUTRITIONALS: Amazon Herb, Vemma/Verve
Members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the Organic Trade Association, GreenMassage, and GreenAmerica (formerly Co-op America) create consumer demand for higher standards in the products we use daily. Let your voice be heard!
Contact us today at: 573-449-4929 or greenistheway@hotmail.com