Companies doing it right: Wellness, Sustainability & Eco-friendliness

Going green is not easy. If it were easy, every company in the world would have already implemented changes to their product, business practices and services already. 

And when it comes to mental health? Though accelerated by the global pandemic, we still have some headway to make. So what does it really look like from an organizational policy and procedure standpoint to implement some of these beneficial but oftentimes challenging changes?

To answer this, we looked to a few world-renown organizations already making great strides to care for their employees, their customers and the globe - all without sacrificing quality of their product or service. And this is what we came up with (yes, of course we mentioned ourselves (as every self-respecting company would do...)). 

Patagonia

Known for their cozy fleece zip-ups, Patagonia is a global clothing company with a mission to save the planet. Patagonia is a certified B-Corporation - a private certification for companies based on their “social and environmental performance.” According to the B Corporation website, in order to be considered a B-Corp a company must “meet high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.” The company’s commitment to environmental activism is visible in the products they create and the positive impact those products have on the globe.

Patagonia is extremely aware that everything they create has a lasting impact on the planet. They have three key factors of focus when evaluating their footprint:

• Materials and environmental programs
• Social responsibility programs
• Where they do business

The clothing and footwear industries are responsible for approximately 10% of the global greenhouse gases emitted in the entire world (WOW!). So it's a big deal that the materials of Patagonia’s products match their high environmental standards.100% of the virgin cotton used in their clothing is grown organically, and 100% of their virgin down is certified to the advanced global traceable down standard. By 2025, Patagonia hopes to eliminate virgin petroleum fiber in their products and only use preferred materials. Currently, Patagonia uses 87% preferred materials.

Patagonia is repeatedly recognized for its commitment to activism. Each year, they donate 1% of their sales annually to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. Now that's a good example of some serious green commitment!

The Knot Worldwide

The Knot Worldwide’s (KTWW) mission is to advise, motivate and cheer people on during the happiest and most stressful milestones in their life. TKWW’s set of brands include The Knot, WeddingWire, Bodas, Hitched, The Bump, The Bash and How They Asked. Obviously, they are extremely popular in the wedding and event management space around the world. 

Not only does TKWW strive to ease stress during significant life moments for their customers through their various platforms, but they also strive to support those same events in the lives of their employees. While flexible PTO is promoted at most companies, TKWW requires their employees to take mental health days, and they promote a positive work life balance. TKWW also offers robust mental health and employee assistance programs.

One wellness benefit that makes this company unique is their TKWW Relief fund. Employees have the opportunity to apply for a financial grant for qualifying events like Covid-19 relief and governmental declared disasters. This grant is aimed to help balance expenses incurred from these events like food, clothing, housing, childcare and more.

Current and former employees rave about the positive and uplifting work culture TKWW has created. To all business owners out there - take note! Happy Employees, Happy Company.

Lenovo (shameless shoutout)

Yes! We have to add ourselves to this mini-list for some good reasons! We as a company are highly committed to the social responsibility of constant improvement. From the environment and our products, to our customers and employees, Lenovo is always striving to make the world a better place.

One of the many missions we've committed to is combatting climate change. We recognize how harmful climate change is for the planet and are constantly exploring new ways to reduce damaging greenhouse gas emissions across all of our business practices. Our strategic approach to climate change can be broken down in three key elements:

1. Climate and Energy Policy
2. Climate Change Strategy
3. Climate Change Objectives and Targets

The Climate and Energy Policy involves understanding energy management and its connection to climate and operational costs. Some avenues we are working to reduce energy consumption are installing low or no-carbon energy technologies in new facilities and operations, creating renewable energy generation capabilities where technically and economically feasible, and ensuring the availability of information and necessary resources to meet energy objectives.

Lenovo’s climate change policy includes five key focus areas:

1. Internal operations and the direct emissions from our facilities
2. Energy suppliers and their operational emissions which are attributable to our activities
3. Our supply chain and emissions associated with the production and delivery of goods and services
4. Our customers and the emissions associated with their procurement, use, and disposal of our products
5. Government, NGO, and public actions in support of transitioning to a low-carbon economy

On June 30, 2020, Lenovo’s climate change objectives were assessed and approved as science-based targets. Each year, the company sets specific areas of focus involving climate change, including energy consumption, GHG emissions, and resulting climate change impacts. As a solution, Lenovo is prioritizing energy efficiency, installation of onsite renewable energy generation, and purchasing renewable energy commodities or carbon offsets.

Short and sweet, we hope this overview got your wheels turning. Although going green is certainly not a light undertaking, it is totally attainable! For a few ideas on how you can start leaning green in your own business, keep an eye out next Wednesday (May 19th) for a special piece on this very topic. 

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What is your favorite eco-friendly organization? What eco-friendly practices do you find most admirable? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!