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Green
When making business decisions, we always have and always will choose the more earth-friendly and labor-friendly option, even if it is more expensive. This may mean we don't make as much money, but that's not really what it's all about anyway.
Our goal is to operate with as little waste as possible and we are proud of the impact we have had--or more accurately, not had--on the planet by adhering to our strict green standards.
Here are some aspects of our business that make us green--perhaps they will inspire you to make changes in your own personal and/or business life:
First and foremost, we are a vegan company. Our decision to use and sell only vegan products has a greater impact than all of our other efforts combined. We invite you to learn more about why you should choose vegan products for your health, for the animals, and for the planet.
Second, we emphatically embrace (and hug, kiss, wrap our arms passionately around... okay, we may have gone a bit too far in our green obsession) the Four R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover.
- Reduce: We print on both sides of the paper whenever possible
- Reduce: We print using our printer's draft/low-quality setting in black ink only for most of our printing
- Reduce: We use Energy Star certified computers and office machines
- Reuse: We save junk mail and print on the other side
- Reuse: We make regular trips to our local health food store and/or other local businesses to pick up boxes to use for shipping our orders
- Reuse: We reuse all boxes from our incoming shipments to ship out orders
- Reuse: We reuse all packing material from our incoming shipments to pack orders
- Reuse: We reuse wrapping paper after winter holidays as packing material
- Reuse: We reuse the backs of our shipping labels as packing material in some orders
- Reuse: We compost food scraps
- Recycle: We recycle all paper and cardboard that cannot be reused
- Recycle: We recycle all ink cartridges
- Recycle: We recycle plastic, glass, and aluminum
- Recover: We use only 100% post-consumer waste (PCW) paper for all in-house printing
- Recover: When we do buy mailers and boxes we buy those with the highest content of post-consumer-waste we can find
- Recover: We buy remanufactured ink cartridges
- Recover: We buy recycled office supplies whenever possible
Third, we partner with and support like-minded businesses and non-profits.
- We donate to numerous charities, including:
- PETA's Business Friends program, to help fund their activist efforts to promote vegan diets and vegan products.
- ARFF, to help fund their activist efforts to promote veganism and reduce suffering.
- Our local chapter of La Leche League, an organization that works to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding worldwide.
- Animal Acres, to support their work promoting compassionate living, rescuing farmed animals, and educating the public about the benefits of a vegan diet.
- We have successfully encouraged one supplier to switch from non-recyclable-and-the-most-toxic-plastic-on-earth-PVC packaging to recycled and recyclable packaging printed with soy ink
- We have helped countless designers and entrepreneurs get connected with US mills so they can use sustainable fabrics for their product lines
- We have been instrumental in the development of numerous new eco-friendly products for babies and children
Fifth, we have recently partnered with CarbonFund to support reforestation projects, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. While the efforts described above DO significantly lessen the impact of our business's operations, our existence does necessitate an environmental footprint. Our partnership with CarbonFund allows us to offset that footprint to make us truly carbon-free!Lastly, we are constantly analyzing ourselves for ways to lessen our impact even further. We are always on the lookout for more sustainable options for packaging, supplies, vendors, and all other aspects of our business. Change is our friend... we love change... especially when it makes us even greener. We respectfully disagree, Kermit, but we think it's easy (and fun!) to be green!
