High Level Sustainability
We’re still a young and relatively small company, yet we’re only one of three companies in the U.S. with an A+ rating on Global Reporting Initiative’s international standards registry, but not by chance. It took years of planning, material research, modeling and design work before Ecologic Designs began selling products and services in 2007.
We aim to create nothing short of innovation in modern manufacturing and in the economics of localized, closed-loop production of retail and promotional products for your business. We are committed to a new standard of best practices, a bar that begins to solve the enormous issues facing conventional manufacturing businesses today.
Our sustainability policy starts with a promise, and that is to always operate as sustainably as possible and only produce products that give back more to the planet than they require to be made. We take sustainability seriously, and so should your organization. It begins with a choice. Will you do business with a company that happens to make some ‘green’ products, or will you partner with our green-from-the-ground-up company that can fulfill your needs?
Localization
Ecologic Designs currently manufactures most its products within 18 miles of our main facility in Boulder, Colorado. Within 25 miles we’re able to collect over 60% of our raw materials from individuals, businesses and venues. In time this will change, but to grow we will create satellite facilities to process another region’s waste into goods for customers in the same area. As demand continues to increase, we have established additional local and regional collection and manufacturing services around country, continuing to minimize transportation and fuel impact while maximizing local economic and environmental benefit. With a emphasis on Made in USA / America we want to bring jobs back to the US and help create greener jobs.
Reclamation Station
Reclamation Station is our supply chain model for obtaining difficult-to-recycle materials. This service diverts literally tons of waste per year from entering landfills or being incinerated.
Transparency Reporting
Sustainability is a set of principles from which we conduct business, it’s a systemic way of producing our goods, it’s a way to value our employees and external stakeholders, and it’s a way for us to measure achievement and real profitability. The importance of reporting is not being perfect, it’s about being honest and approaching real solutions with integrity. If you don’t use what you learn, there’s no point in measuring anything. It’s with this idea, weight scales, timers and a lot of engineering and software tools that we measure everything we possibly can.
To account for our sustainability, we submit an annual report which contains our Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR) – which is written according to Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Standards with the intention of establishing the transparency of our business practices. It explains the management principles and structure of our company as well as our full operational impact on hundreds of environmental, economic and social indicators. This 41 page report details the entirety of our business structure and practices communicating our social, economic and environmental impacts. Many familiar companies are members, but few have the depth of reporting, which we feel is necessary to detail.
Third Party Verification
In 2008, we partnered with Valparaiso University and Symbiotic Engineering to verify the integrity of the data in our CSR. This was conducted under Corporate Register’s MatchMaker Program and was a beta test for SME companies to participate in a reporting environment this rigorous.
Beyond the Triple Bottom Line
Measuring our negative impact and beneficial return to society, the environment, and the economy is a deep process of data collection and constant tabulation. We are now utilizing a Sustainability Management System, or SMS, to monitor the success of our operational mechanics and governing policies. In addition to the GRI indicators that are contained in our sustainability report, the SMS provides a time line that coincides with set goals, testing and review periods, and establishes accountability on an entirely new level.
Walking the Talk
At our facility in Boulder Colorado, we practice what we preach. Simple things like recycling a wide range of materials, on-site composting, energy efficient lighting and proactive energy management go a long way. With a many employees commuting by bicycle, carpool or using public transit we are able to significantly reduce our impacts as an organization.
