Small Business Sustainability

More than 1 billion people around the world celebrate holidays like Earth Day to show their support for environmental protection. But it has made me realize how careless society is when it comes to our earth, especially big businesses.

Everyone should make a continuous effort to care for the globe. However, It's easier for individuals to make subtle sustainable changes rather than businesses. 'Sustainable' generally means products and companies that utilize environmentally-conscious practices.

The Plastic Waste Makers index reveals that 20 big businesses are responsible for producing more than half of all single-use plastic waste globally. Big businesses are among those responsible for producing over 50% of 'throwaway' single-use plastic that ends up as waste worldwide.

Here are a few ways small businesses can take steps toward being more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

---

Source Sustainable Materials

Cooper Vineyards is constructed from locally sourced sustainable materials (Photo by U.S. Department of Agriculture).

"Sustainable" generally means products and companies that utilize environmentally-conscious practices. An alternative to fuels that offset carbon emissions is to source materials made from recycled plastic or renewable energy. Cooper Vineyards is just one example of how small businesses can incorporate sustainably sourced materials not just in their products, but also in the buildings where they are manufactured.

Another way small businesses can be more sustainable is by buying sustainably sourced materials from local suppliers to support the local economy and minimize shipping and transportation costs.

Sustainable materials don't contain toxic or ozone-depleting substances. There are so many options for small businesses looking for material alternatives. Here are a few to help you get started:

• Cardboard and paper

• Corn starch

• Bagasse paper (sugarcane fiber pulp)

• Mycelium (mushrooms)

• Degradable bubble wrap

---

Eco-friendly packaging

A local farmer repurposes eco-friendly boxes to store organic produce (Photo by Mikaela Vazquez Rico).

Many people changed their lifestyles during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has made people realize the importance of investing in non-toxic, eco-friendly products to protect themselves and the future of the planet. According to a 2017 Cone Communications CSR Study, 63% of Americans surveyed hope businesses will take the lead in driving environmental change.

Minimizing the amount of packaging you use is a great first step toward becoming a more sustainable business. This is important for small businesses that may not have the resources to buy loads of packaging materials. Some questions to consider while you're packing an order are:

• is it breakable?

• How big is it?

• Can it be reduced in any way?

---

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Instead of recycling aluminum cans into new aluminum cans, Mary Enriquez reuses the materials to craft unique jewelry (Photo by Mary Anne Enriquez).

The best way to eliminate waste in landfills is to never send it there in the first place.

Small businesses should try to reduce usage where they can. Instead of disposable bags, small business owners can offer reusable bags for a reasonable cost. Small businesses can find ways to reuse whenever possible. Instead of throwing out structurally intact boxes, they can be used to repackage or repurposed to store inventory.

Recycling is the next best thing if you can't reduce or reuse. Small businesses can have a recycling bin to collect recyclable items. Some of these include:

• Steel

• Aluminum

• Glass

• Cardboard

• Paper

• Plastics

---

Sustainable Small Business Spotlight

One of Darrell Jobe's reusable, recyclable and biodegradable Vericool boxes (Photo courtesy of Vericool on Twitter).

Darrell Jobe is the owner of Vericool – a small business that produces environmentally safe packaging products. Jobe is among many entrepreneurs who have made their small businesses more sustainable to help the earth.

"They represent a movement of human beings that are concerned about how we live the best possible way on the planet Earth — and how we solve problems better than we've ever done before." - Abdul-Matin, author of "Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet."

Jobe created the world's first biodegradable ice chest cooler in 2017 and developed a compostable and recyclable thermal solution for shipping Covid-19 vaccines instead of environmentally damaging Styrofoam coolers.

---

There are plenty of ways small businesses can help to preserve the earth. Hopefully, some of these tips will encourage owners and consumers to think twice about their daily activities that impact our environment.

Luckily, small businesses like Vericool are making a conscious effort to create a sustainable future through their actions.