Photo Credit: Copernico, Unsplash
Sustainability – for YOU and your BUSINESS By Doris Valade, Business and Leadership Coach, The Malabar Group
K
ermit the Frog said it best around 2008: “It’s not easy being green!” As a society, we’ve been talking about greenness and sustainability for more than 20 years and although we’ve made significant progress, we’re not there yet. Sustainability issues still make headlines, the topic continues to come up in boardrooms and offices and the number of consumers who expect brands to step up and do the right thing for the planet is growing.
YOUR ONE-STOP SOLUTION
FOR ALL YOUR REFRIGERATED LOGISTIC NEEDS Transportation
• Truckload • Less-than-truckload • Duo-temperature trailers
Expedite Services
• Home delivery • Dedicated services • Store-door-distribution
Cold Storage
• HACCP certified • Sorting & labelling • Multiple locations with cross-docking
1-800-665-COLD | erbgroup.com sales@erbgroup.com
Big business is getting greener and taking sustainability more seriously. But what about small business? A Forbes report revealed ,“If your brand isn’t helping your consumers improve their environmental and social footprint, then you’re in danger of disappointing 88% of them.”1 What’s more, “at least 12 peerreviewed studies show that many job seekers are attracted to organizations with sustainable practices.”2 As small business owners, how can we make sure our environmental actions are green and our efforts at sustainability positively impact people, planet and profits? The Three Pillars of Sustainability In 2010, the Office of Sustainability at the University of Alberta, Canada, put together a concise definition: “Sustainability is the process of living within the limits of available physical, natural and social resources in ways that allow the living systems in which humans are embedded to thrive in perpetuity.”3 It is generally accepted that there are three key pillars to sustainability — environmental, social (human) and economic sustainability. 1. Your Small Businesses and its Environmental Impact For small business, thinking about your environmental impact is probably the easiest pillar to understand and improve upon. A good first step is to look at what’s in your garbage. How can you reduce or reuse what’s in there? Avoid plastic when you can! Think about items you order on a regular basis. Are you using sustainable packaging? Is your equipment energy efficient? When buying new equipment, check energy-efficiency ratings. Simple things, such as LED lights and smart thermostats are green actions that can save money. It’s surprising how many businesses leave their lights on overnight and on weekends – if it’s not a security issue, why not turn them off? How are your products stored? If temperature control is required at your facility, can you reduce inventory to reduce energy costs? Are you using natural or eco-friendly cleaning and sanitation products? Buying used office furniture instead of new can be a great costsaving green idea. Are you ready to go paperless? Did you know that storing data in the cloud is far greener (and more efficient!) Continued on page 8
6
BlockTalk - Summer 2022
www.meatpoultryon.ca
