SUPER Sizing Your Business' Environmental Commitment
Today is #earthday, and it is an opportune moment to contemplate the magnitude of human impact on the natural world, then commit to doing better. Individual action on Earth Day can include promises of behavioral change that don't always pan out. While personal commitments are important, I challenge you to also think about how your business practices affect the holistic health of the environment.
One area where your business can have a tangible, immediate effect is through a reduction or elimination of plastic. Plastic use is at an all-time high in the U.S., and the majority of Americans don't think about how this convenient material affects marine life, other species, and human health. Only a few types of plastics can actually be recycled, and some plastic waste is burned to make cement, generating massive amounts of pollution.
One species which has served as the 'canary in the coal mine' is the beloved Albatross bird, whose habitat and health are threatened by plastic pollution. I watched the documentary 'Albatross' last year, and I was stunned by the birds' raw beauty and sweetness and the daily peril that they face. The birds mate for life, and they travel for days away from their home on Midway Atoll to find food for their babies. The heartbreak happens when they mistake plastic pollution for food and feed it to their babies, often resulting in a painful death for the chicks. Several of the Albatross species are currently critically endangered.
So how can your business reduce plastic usage to foster human health, prevent pollution, and help other species affected by plastic pollution?
My company, Good Coworking, is proud to announce today that we are participating in SUPER's pilot certification, the first single-use plastic reduction solution and certification for businesses. In this certification process, we are evaluating our plastic use, followed by a 90-day Sprint to address those issues. Some areas where we have already been eliminating plastic include our green events policy, where we do not allow disposable plastics, our use of ceramic mugs, plates/bowls, and metal cutlery, and glass bottles for homemade cleaning products. The benefits for your business when you achieve SUPER certification include differentiation from competitors, significant cost savings, customer recognition as a business that leads the effort to stop plastic pollution, and the official SUPER™ Certified Seal on your web channels, documentation, etc.
I challenge small and large business owners to raise your hands and join me in this adventure to eliminate plastic pollution! Our certification process will be led by my colleague Ashlee Freese, and we will be happy to share our experience and tips as we go.