10 CSR Organizations We Are Thankful For

Before the work day is over and our minds get consumed with thoughts of delicious turkey dinners and tasty pumpkin pies, we would like to take a moment to thank some special socially responsible organizations that make a difference each and every day.  Without their sustainability leadership and remarkable green initiatives, our world would surely be in trouble.

CSRwire(www.csrwire.com)  – The leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports, events and information.

TOMS (www.toms.com)  - With every pair your purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.

1% For the Planet (www.onepercentfortheplanet.org) – A growing global movement of 1,401 companies that donate 1% of their sales to a network of 2,708 environmental organizations worldwide.

GMIC (www.greenmeetings.info) - The premier global community solely dedicated to sustainability in the meetings and events industry, not only through education but also by spearheading research, policy and standards.

SHFT (www.shft.com) – Multi-media platform founded by film producer Peter Glatzer and actor-filmmaker Adrian Grenier to convey a more sustainable approach to the way we live through video, design, art and culture.

Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org) – Works to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living.

Recyclebank (www.recyclebank.com) – Rewards people for taking everyday green actions with discounts and deals from local and national businesses.

Taiga Company (www.taigacompany.com) – Sustainability consultants that seek to be the oxygen to your business.

Clean the World (www.cleantheworld.org) -  Social enterprise that collects and recycles partially used soap from hotels to donate to organizations that provide aid to impoverished people around the world

TerraCycle (www.terracycle.net) -  Purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste by creating national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste. Outsmart Waste.

Corporate Conscious Wednesday

We have selected Icon Wheelchairs from Northampton, MA as this week’s Corporate Conscious Wednesday winner! Congratulations!

Icon Wheelchairs was founded in March 2010 and manufactures a line of innovative and adjustable wheelchairs. For convenience, the wheelchairs can be easily broken down and transported.  Other great features include: suspension design that allows it to be set to your exact weight, compression and rebound to reduce fatigue and a lock-out option for when you don’t want suspension.

Not only is Icon Wheelchairs committed to making the best mobility devices, but they are also dedicated to improving the lives of those who use wheelchairs. They are the only wheelchair manufacturer owned and operated by wheelchair users. Icon Wheelchairs exemplifies social responsibility at its finest.

Lastly, a fun fact about Icon Wheelchairs is that one of their wheelchairs was recently made TV famous and was featured on the CW show Nikita.

Green Advice for Your Holiday Travels

With the holidays approaching, traveling is on everyone’s mind… whether you will be travelling locally to your grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner, across the country to be with your family on New Years Eve or overseas to that warm and relaxing tropical island for a week long holiday getaway. Whatever the case may be, it is important to take into consideration our environmental impacts as we make our traveling arrangements.

An article in the Australian newspaper The Age featured Tom Neal Tacker, writer and traveler, and his views about how tourists are inadvertently causing cultural and environmental damage.  His main message is “people ought to be more informed before they leave and more considerate while they are away.” 

Let’s look at the first part of his message – be more informed! How can one become more informed about how to minimize their environmental impact when traveling? It’s simple, ask questions!  Before booking that trip you’ve been dying to go on, take a moment to ask your travel agent or destination operator a few questions, such as is it possible to travel by train instead of plane?, what impact does tourism already have on that specific region? and does the region I am traveling to source food and products locally?

After you have picked the perfect eco-friendly destination and transportation methods, you need to select a hotel. Hotels that offer guests the option to opt out of washing towels daily and use energy efficient light bulbs are not bad choices, but you should find a hotel that has gone above and beyond in their sustainability efforts. When making the decision to book a hotel, look into the hotel’s recycling of waste, water usage, fair employment and impact on the local culture.

Now let’s look at the second part of this message – be more considerate while away! This sounds like it should be easy to do because you would expect tourists to be respectful of another country, but unfortunately that is not always the case.  For example, the Thai island of Ko Pha Ngan, where full-moon parties are held, has been turned into a complete mess. Thousands of people attend these parties and throw bottles carelessly on the beach and into the sea. This affects the environment, which in turn will affect the people who live there.

It is always fun and exciting to travel, especially to a place you have never been before, but try to be more aware of your impact on your surroundings. You wouldn’t like it if someone came to your neighborhood and threw bottles everywhere, would you? It should be everyone’s goal to keep each and every destination the way we found it so that others can have the same great experience we had when we first visited.

If you have taken a trip and made eco-conscious decisions, we would love to hear about it!

  

Corporate Conscious Wednesday

 

And the winner is B Corp’s Feelgoodz from New Orleans, LA.

The vision of this Triple Bottom Line company is “to become a global lifestyle brand that uses sales of conscious products to create positive social change around the world.”

Feelgoodz markets and distributes natural footwear that you guessed it… feels good on your feet! There is something for everyone – men, women and children.

Not only do the flip flops feel comfortable, but they are good for the environment. The use of all-natural rubber, instead of EVA foam, ensures biodegradability in 4-5 years. So once you have outgrown or outworn your shoes, you can bury them in your backyard if you want!

Feelgoodz has partnered with value-aligned organizations, such as Pencils of Promise, TransFair USA and UniquEco-Designs. Additionally, they are proud members of 1% For the Planet.

For more information about Feelgoodz please visit – http://www.feelgoodz.com/

 

 

Have you ever purchased Feelgoodz flip flops?

 

BSR2011

 

With decreasing income and rising prices, with foreclosures and joblessness, environmental disasters and global warming…. it can be difficult to hold on to the optimism of a better world.

But this past week I had a rare glimpse into what a better world might actually look like. At a conference under the auspices of Business Social Responsibility: RedefiningLeadership, I witnessed 1000 + companies attempting and in many cases succeeding, in leveraging their enormous spheres of influence and powerful brands to bring about social change. The fact that I was skeptical of the likes of Pepsi and GE, Chevron and Microsoft as they sat there describing clean water initiatives in Africa and communication inroads in India, is a testimate to just how dire our situation has become. We have lost our faith in government and are desperately looking for a leader. The irony that such a leader might turn out to be one of the very beasts that got us here in the first place…wasn’t lost on anyone.

Whether this is just a massive ploy by C level execs to preemptively greenwash the future while hoping we forget about a past riddled by decades of unrestrained consumption and greed, remains to be seen. But whatever the true motive, it has us talking and the change is positive.

So what does this better world look like? It looks like a world where companies don’t just take from the people’s and communities where they operate but give back as well. It looks like a world where corporations refuse to turn a blind eye on issues like modern day slavery, unsafe working conditions and fair wages but acknowledge the very success of their business is inherently tied to the people bringing their products to fruition. It looks like a world with clean air, green forests, fresh water and blue oceans and one in which corporations understand that their survival is tenuously tied to this place we call home not only today but also tomorrow.

It is no longer enough to do good on our own time but return to work and think only of profit and shareholder value. It is necessary that we urge our corporations to be better leaders and stewards of responsibility. And in doing so, corporations aren’t just throwing money away or frivolously focusing attention on issues not relevant to their business. In this age of hyper-transparency acts of social responsibility serve to protect brands, attract greater talent, retain innovative employees and improving supply chains operations. And what CEO doesn’t like a win-win?

 

If you’re a company that’s ready to take the leap, give us a call, we can help change the way you meet and light a spark of change within your company that will forever improve the way you do business.

Corporate Conscious Wednesday

This week’s winner is Solar Ear from Sao Paolo, Brazil.  Solar Ear was recently featured on CSRwire because their Founder and CEO Howard Weinstein was name Social Entrepreneur of the Year by World Technology Network.

You are probably wondering what he did to win this noteworthy award. We will give you a hint; the company name says it all. Are you having trouble figuring out the connection between solar power and ears? We did too at first!

And then we found out that Solar Ear designs and manufactures a solar powered, battery rechargeable, inexpensive hearing aid solution. This product is simply amazing.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 278 million people suffer from hearing loss and 200 million of those people live in developing countries. Weinstein was clearly aware of this issue and set out to make a difference by providing affordable and eco-friendly hearing aids. Similar to Warby Parker Eyewear (featured on our blog last week), the hearing aids are more affordable than others and can be purchased for under $100.

The business model of the company reflects their “make a difference” mindset. Solar Ear hires deaf workers, who are the perfect people for the job because they tend to have better hand-eye coordination than hearing people.

For more information about Solar Ear please visit – www.solarear.com.br/solar/index.php

 

   

 

Germany Leading the Way in Green Meetings

In Europe, Germany is the #1 provider for green meetings, which makes sense because over 1.8 million people work in the environmental industry.

However, Germany is also a world leader in sustainability efforts, such as recycling, sustainable water technologies and wind energy.

How did they become such a global role model?

In March 2011, the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and European Association of Event Venues (EVVC)  held the Green Meetings and Events Conference. About 400 people in the industry attended the event to talk about the role of sustainability in meetings. From their discussions, it was clear that awareness of green practices and climate protection had already reached their meetings and events industry!

According to the results of a survey taken at the conference, over one-quarter (27.4%) of the interviewed venues in Germany have a green management system in place for business activities.

Furthermore, they don’t just discuss green issues, they act on them too. The Darmstadtium, a conference center in Darmstadt, runs almost entirely on renewable energy sources. Impressive!

And these are just a couple of examples of why Germany is a leader of green meetings!

    

                                                             

How would you rate the United States in terms of green meeting efforts?

One way you can become more involved with green meetings is by joining the Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC). For more information please visit www.greenmeetings.info

We are also in the process of forming a GMIC Mid-Atlantic Chapter so if you are interested in joining please contact us!

Corporate Conscious Wednesday

We are pleased to announce that this week’s winner is Warby Parker Eyewear from New York, NY!

Warby Parker Eyewear sells high-quality, vintage inspired and fashion forward prescription eyewear. In an industry controlled by a few companies that have kept prices high, Warby Parker provides an affordable alternative. Available exclusively on their website, their eyewear products can be purchased for only $95.00.

Unfortunately, millions of people around the world do not have access to vision care. As a result, Warby Parker has partnered with VisionSpring.com to provide a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair sold.  With the proper eyewear, a person can read and work which can drastically improve their future.

They continue to make a positive impact through their stakeholder centered business model that takes into consideration customers, employees, environment and the larger community.

Have you ever purchased a pair of glasses from Warby Parker Eyewear?

For more information about Warby Parker Eyewear, please visit – http://store.warbyparker.com/

A Green Home Away From Home

When planning a trip, you have a lot of decisions to make… what destination to visit, what flights to take, what restaurants to eat at and the all-important one, what hotel to stay at.

Your hotel check list usually includes: friendly staff, clean rooms and a variety of amenities. A hotel that satisfies all of these needs is usually ideal. However, we think there is one more thing you should add to the list… green efforts!

4 questions to ask yourself when selecting a hotel are:

1. What kind of recycling program does the hotel have?
2. Do guests have the option to reuse towels and sheets?
3. Does the hotel have programs to reduce consumption?
4. How does the hotel contribute to the local community?

Unfortunately, we know it is not always possible to find an eco-friendly hotel, but you can still do your part to help the environment during your stay. Some ways you can do this are:

1. Shut off the water when you brush your teeth
2. Turn off the AC, heat, TV and lights when you leave the room
3. Bring your own toiletries and water cup
4. Give hotel feedback that encourages them to go green!

Do you have any other tips that you would like to add? We would love to hear your comments!

Corporate Conscious Wednesday

We are happy to announce that this week’s winner is Resonate, a sustainability consulting firm located in Malvern, PA.  We were fortunate enough to meet with some members of Resonate this past week and their focus on profitability paired with social and environmental impacts is truly remarkable.

Some of the services they offer include, but are not limited to, LEED Gap Analysis, Development, Selection and Prioritization of Sustainable Projects and Marketing, Recognition Applications and CSR Reporting.

Resonate won the Social Impact Innovation Award from Good Company Ventures for their new product the P3 Navigator. The P3 Navigator is an online sustainability platform that allows small to medium size companies learn, plan and assess sustainability. Be on the look out for this online platform because it is set to launch in 2012.

In addition to being a certified B Corporation, they are also a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBENC) and members of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN) and International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP).

We recommend checking out their website – www.resonateworks.com