Being a carbon copy of an auto club doesn’t have to mean leaving behind a massive carbon footprint. The Better World Club (BWC) is proving that point to over 20,000 members and to the leaders of the auto club industry. The club was cofounded five years ago by Todd Silberman and president Mitch Rofsky, entrepreneurs with a green political agenda.
The American Automobile Club (AAA) is the largest auto club in America, boasting a membership in the millions, but the company has been butting headlights with environmental lobbyists for years. AAA’s opposition of environmentally beneficial transportation and support of the highway lobby were just a few reasons to prompt Silberman and Rofsky into taking action. Rather than fighting AAA politically, they decided to compete with them — directly.
According to Rofsky, “We’re the first company to say that our core service is similar to AAA, but everything else about us is different.” It’s true that the BWC offers virtually the same prices, benefits and assistance as AAA, but they also educate their members on environmental issues and encourage them to travel green. The program gives discounts to members who drive hybrids or other alternative-fuel vehicles and even to members who switch from AAA. There are surcharges for drivers of the three worst gas-guzzlers on the road, but according to Rofsky it was a necessary innovation.
Another original BWC idea is their “Travel Cool” program, designed to offset greenhouse gasses generated by air travel. They manage this by siphoning off a portion of each airline ticket purchased through the BWC and redirecting it to programs to save energy and reduce CO2 pollution.
Don’t have a car? How about roadside assistance for bicyclists? The company offers discounts on bike purchases, gear and assistance for car-less members too.
The BWC is nationwide and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The BWC may not be reinventing the wheel, but they are reinventing the way we view the wheels we have. For more information visit betterworldclub.com.
— Shama Dardai