Shepler’s earns first Green Marine certification for environmental performance
MACKINAW CITY — Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry earned its first certification this month after joining the Green Marine environmental certification program last year, according to a press release.
The ferry company assessed the environmental performance of its seven-ship fleet by tracking key indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, oily water treatment, waste management and ship recycling.
The result is independently verified every two years, while the participant's performance is published annually.
“It is our duty and responsibility to advocate for environmental preservation and consistently meet and surpass expectations in all areas,” President Chris Shepler said in a release. "Being part of Green Marine's comprehensive program resonates with our fundamental principles because its detailed framework steers our initiatives to consistently improve our environmental performance."
David Bolduc, Green Marine’s president, said he commends the company for adopting a forward-thinking approach to environmental care.
“Since joining Green Marine in 2023, Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry has focused on meeting the program’s criteria for certification and continues to expand on that effort,” Bolduc said in a release.
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According to Shepler’s Environmental Specialist Lindsey Rancilio, the certification marked a significant milestone for the company.
“We are feeling pretty excited to begin this new chapter. It was kind of a large stepping stone for us as we've never done anything like this before,” Rancilio told the News-Review.
Together with the rest of the team, Rancilio said she is excited to see how being part of the Green Marine program can stimulate further growth within the company and elevate its environmental consciousness.
The company is also planning to let its passengers know about their achievement with stickers to display on the sides of the boats.
— This story was created by reporter Karly Graham, kgraham@petoskeynews.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry earns first Green Marine certification
