Clif Bar Employees Are Using Spin Classes to Power the Company's HQ The food company is turning cardio into electricity.
By Rose Leadem
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
From donating money to going green, many companies have been chiming in to share the efforts they take to fight climate change. Food company Clif Bar is offering a new spin on green initiatives.
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The company is planning to use pedal power to provide energy at its Emeryville, Calif., headquarters this month. Clif Bar is challenging its employees to take a spin class that will not only help them burn calories and break a sweat, but also power up their work space. The company set up 12 stationary bikes connected to generators that help power the building.
While the bikes are expected to generate 300 kwh of electricity -- around the same amount it takes to power the average home for 10 days -- that's not going to be quite enough to power the entire HQ. However, that's not the point.
"These spin bikes are more intended to spark a dialogue and encourage Clif Bar and company employees to think about how they are consuming electricity within their own lives and the environmental benefits of riding bikes," a Clif Bar spokesperson said.
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As a company that promotes the outdoors, exercise and nature, this isn't the first of Clif Bar's environmental initiatives. Already, the company claims that its headquarters are 80 percent powered by solar energy. It also helps employees purchase commuter bikes and provides incentives for biking to and from work.
