Helping the Environment
Happy Friday, QuickBooks Community! I hope you guys are having a productive day. In honor of Earth Day, I want to share a project that Outside (parent company of Podium Runner) did with Soles4Souls to help keep "old sneakers out of the landfill." I will be honest with you, growing up in the Caribbean, I have never heard about Earth Day or celebrated it. If there was mentioned of those words, it was in reference to someone's birthday. We would say Happy Earth Strong Day! It wasn't until recently ( like three days ago) I learned about this. While researching, I have seen companies such as Lowes hosting a SpringFest giving away free garden-to-go kits during April to support the climate. However, the Outside company efforts stood out to me the most.
How many of you have old sneakers or boots lying around in your closet or bins? I will say I have about one or two. Over time active gears remain a problem, especially when it comes to recycling because it can be very costly. Outside decided to partner with Soles4Soul and held a large shoe drive in Tennessee to help with this. This company accepts donations of shoes and clothing around the US, repairing or repurposing these items to assist others in need. They have done this through many disaster relief programs, and the list goes on. Here is why I find this awesome. Soles4Souls has been able to keep more than 68 million pounds of waste out of landfills. By repurposing these shoes, they extend the shoe's lifetime and save 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emission by limiting the manufacturing of new pairs. The campaign that they have going, if you're interested, is straightforward. Fill out a form, box up the shoes, print a free shipping label, and carry it to your local post office. You can refer to this article for more information and their background story.
However, this got me thinking. Even though Earth Day is celebrated on a specific day, that doesn't mean it has to stop there. What are some ways small businesses can help contribute to saving the environment? A simple project like this is one way how you can help! If you have other methods or practices your business is a part of, feel free to share with us! And let's make this place a better world for us and future generations. Until then, continue to be safe and be well, my Community comrades.