In today’s day and age, we as a community and as a country all have to be committed wholeheartedly to reducing the impact that we are having on the environment. The huge impact that we have made thus far through our inexhaustible lust for disposables has caused some damage to the planet, but it’s not too late to reverse the damage. It’s important to think globally and to act locally, and it’s very encouraging when we see businesses in our community taking some excellent steps to reduce their carbon footprint through their environmental actions. After all, these businesses are some of the biggest producers of carbon emissions or wastes, and while they’re pretty bad by-products of their industries, the products that these companies are making are invaluable to our day to day lives. It’s kind of a catch-22, really.
Part of responsible business ownership is to ensure that we have a good impact on our community, that our products or services are valid, true and purposeful, and that we tread gently on the face of the earth. We shouldn’t compromise on our commitment to sustainable business practices, and so I thought it was important to celebrate the efforts of five incredible companies that are doing great things for the environment with their work. Let’s take a look.
Oz Mattress
Oz Mattress is a company who are really committed to ensuring that they are environmentally friendly in all that they do. As part of their environmental policy, they actively work to alleviate their impact on the environment by reducing energy demands and streamlining processes, in an effort to become more efficient and in turn reduce the company’s overall carbon emissions. As part of their day-to-day office operations, they consciously aim to keep machines switched off unless in use, and they recycle as part of their office culture. They also discourage printing and discourage the use of throwaway items as well. This is a great step in the right direction from a company who are blazing the trail for other Aussie companies.
Westpac Bank
This company is one that has been recognised as having a huge environmental focus. They’ve been on the radar as being recognised as environmentally friendly ever since 2005, and they continue to make great headway as far as caring for the environment is concerned. They work to build sustainability into their everyday practice and ensure that it is part of all that they do, whether it’s working with their customers or corporate team, or whether it’s simply in the day to day running of the business. It’s very encouraging to see such a concerted and whole-company approach from what is arguably one of the biggest companies in Australia.
Sims Metal Management
This company is wholeheartedly committed to the act of reducing their environmental impact, as the world’s leading publicly listed metal recycler, with operations including the buying, processing and selling of ferrous and non-ferrous recycled materials. They also look after electronics recycling and have established operations in the UK, Europe and North America. They were named in the 100 most sustainable corporations in the world in the 2012 World Economic Forum in Switzerland for the fourth time in a row and they are recognised as going above and beyond on their environmental practices.
Origin Energy
This is a company that keeps sustainability close to everything that they do. They consult with key stakeholders often and incorporate their ethical viewpoint into their company’s day to day operations. They operate within four key sectors; their customers, people, the environment and society. It is important for their business operations that they put their values guide their business decisions.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these great sustainable warriors who are going out there are making the environment a priority. It’s heartening to see, and hopefully they set an example for other businesses.
