Stay Focused On The Three Pillars
Sustainability has become a catchphrase among companies. The idea of going green, changing the world by their brand, and even being able to glitch the big contracts if your ethos screams the word. But are you losing focus on what sustainability is?
Sustainability rests on three pillars that together will give you the desired outcome. Those three pillars are society, economy, and environment. In layman’s terms, it’s people, profit, and the planet. Unfortunately, many companies are only focusing on one or two of these pillars. Without the support of all three, their ‘sustainable’ company and cause start to crumble.
Paperless
A noble cause of going paperless most companies embrace did not happen overnight. Yet, the concept or idea has been here for ages. It took years of tech development and app enhancements for this idea to become a reality. But taking the picture back a few years, going paperless definitely satisfied the pillar environment, although the economy and society suffered to an extent. It was an expensive exercise due to tech development not being so advised. The employees at paper mills and other factories were staring retrenchment in the face. This is where visionary companies excel. They do not focus on the now (a few months). They focus on the future and what the possibilities will hold. How they will satisfy the other two pillars. Partnerships with other sectors of the economy blossomed, and together they set out to build paperless sustainability.
Single-use Items
Single-use items were also being brought under the crossfire of environmentalists. Companies that traded in this industry did not have the full scope of sustainability in mind. They only focused on profits and people (their needs). They made an incredible profit back then, but two generations later, and they are being held accountable. Corporate responsibility strategies (CSR) are being enforced by many companies in fear that their company reputation and profits will be ruined. Takeaway containers are now made out of recycled material, and no more plastic cutlery for you. Here is your bamboo cutlery . Evolving with the demands to sustain the three pillars is what will safeguard companies in the perfect storm of sustainability.
Organic
Clothing items might be cheaper to make from high synthetic material and polyester, pushing up your profits. But the lack of taking into consideration social and the environment are pushing customers to buy items that are organic. And it doesn’t stop there. Everything organic and local has become the focus of consumers.
Still Not 100% Environment
It is true that we are still far from achieving the goals to go 100% green, but there are still some responsible actions companies should take. Actions like the transportation of hazardous materials which must be secure, complete all the checks when loaded, safe (if it’s flammable, there must be enough fire extinguishers at hand), and so on. If your company still requires timber, are you replanting trees? With your next big brainstorm or marketing strategy, make sure that you stay focused on the three pillars.
