Some Sustainable Considerations

[Jerry Flach]

Areas of sustainable opporunity are revealed through inquiry. Where to start? Examine your organization’s waste stream; what type of packaging is being used across the company and for its products, is recycling enforced, where does the garbage go and what are the costs associated with this? Examine the food systems where does the food come from, how much energy did it take to get here, what does that service packaging look like and where does it go when the food or drink is consumed; how can this be reduced and possibly even educate the employees to consider the same in their personal lives? Look at other organizational practices, what does the organization purchase, how and where are investments made, does this reflect your values, how do these practices bolster the local community and how are you communicating this value? What impact do your operations have on your energy usage and those costs? Do you know what your carbon footprint is and how your buildings impact it; what is your baseline? Start by asking and answering one question; the benefits will follow.