Here at Abanaki, we take our core tenets seriously. Abanaki’s day-to-day processes involve cleaning our world, often in small, sustainable ways that can be adopted by multiple businesses. Today, I’d like to share a few ideas that your company can implement to make our world a little cleaner.
- Recycle better
Many companies implement a recycling program of some sort. The problem tends to be all recyclables go into one large container, making it harder to separate and recycle. Abanaki makes every attempt to separate out plastics, papers, and aluminum by providing multiple designated large bins, making sorting easier for those downstream. Although more feasible for spacious work areas, even small attempts to split waste streams can make a difference.
- Reuse what you can
Bad print jobs are a fact of life. Perhaps the wrong document is printed. Perhaps the document is printed out too many times or toner runs out halfway through the print. These pieces of paper still have some use if only one side has been used. This paper can be flipped over and used as scratch paper, or flipped over and printed on for internal documents. Likewise, cardboard that’s in good shame has more uses that you would expect. Cutting up the box can create a variety of useful items. For example, that cardboard box can be used as static-resistant padding for a table, a shim for an uneven desk, or, at worst, kindling. Bubblewrap can be reused for padding if it’s in good enough shape. Reuse what you might normally think of as trash; it can really improve your environmental impact.
- Make the environment a core tenet
Adding an environmental plank to a mission statement or core values statement can be a great way to broadcast your commitment to employees and formalize your environmental awareness. Granted, this is not one size fits all; maybe your company’s mission statement or core beliefs are set in stone and have more to do with business aspects such as customer service. It’s also not a great fit UNLESS your company is willing to make changes to be more environmentally friendly. After all, no one likes a hypocrite.
We hope these practices provoke a few thoughts about how your company can implement eco-friendlier policies. Our advice about oi skimmers is also sound. Our Oil Skimmer Factbook helps illustrate the situations an oil skimmer excels in and gives concrete, real-life examples to further illustrate a skimmer's capabilities.
