The Global Climate Strike is happening September 20 & 27. Galvanized by the youth movement Fridays for Future (started by student protester Greta Thunberg in Sweden), students and adults of all ages are participating in this strike to garner attention and spur action from local politicians and governments.
Their mission is climate justice for everyone—starting with the call to stop burning fossil fuels and transitioning to 100% renewable energy across the world. What sets this strike apart, is that the movement is looking for support not just from individual protesters, but also entire businesses. (Check out how our neighbors at the W.S. Badger Company are showing their support.)
Implementing sustainable energy practices can seem overwhelming when you’re in the manufacturing industry. It’s a huge challenge, but at EIM we’ve embraced the idea that every small change that we’re able to make is a step in the right direction.
Here are some ways that EIM is working towards becoming a more environmentally conscious organization:
- Eco-friendly updates. When it comes time to remodel or update our facilities, we do everything we can to make sure that the updates are environmentally friendly. Light bulbs / fixtures are slowly being replaced with more energy efficient models. We’ve also added windows to our production facility to bring in more natural light.
- Recycling across the board. Bins for recycling cans/bottles, plastics and paper are strategically placed throughout our building. Posted signs serve as a friendly reminder to employees to double check that what they’re throwing in the trash isn’t recyclable. Additionally, we identified a company, Grounds to Grow on, which enables us to recycle our Keurig KCups (if you saw how much coffee we consumed, you’d understand how much of a life saver this has been).
- Reducing manufacturing waste. Companies in the manufacturing sector are challenging themselves to reduce the amount of waste that their manufacturing process outputs as well as determine how to recycle the waste which can’t be eliminated. We’re currently in the process of researching how we can re-purpose the ink and label material byproducts that our manufacturing process creates!
It’s our hope that EIM’s baby steps into sustainable energy practices inspire you to implement small changes in your own business. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing—your little adjustments today, can make a big difference tomorrow.
We encourage you to show your support for the Global Climate Strike here. Is your organization in the midst of making changes as well? We’d love to hear about how you’re moving towards more sustainable energy practices.