“So, take a good look and I think you will find that this beautiful Earth is one of a kind. Let’s do our share to lend a hand to preserve all we have in this wonderful land.” I’ve read these lines approximately seven thousand forty-two times in my daughter’s book “This Is Our Earth” by Laura Lee Benson. I think the way the prose describes our planet and our responsibility as its guests is so touching.
But it’s more than a saying. It’s a lifestyle I try my best to live out. I make my husband compost our leftover spinach leaves. My daughter and I do trash clean ups on the regular. And I incorporate this value into our processes at beCAUSE minded. In today’s blog, I’d love to share a few ways we work to preserve this wonderful land.
1. We order custom shipping boxes that minimize waste.
One of our keepsake wooden boxes is 12x17x6. Our shipping box for this is 13x18x8. So, there’s not a lot of empty space to fill. That means less product used for the boxes, less packing paper, and less space on the UPS truck (less carbon emissions). Triple win! 
2. We reuse almost all packaging.
A friend once told me the most sustainable thing you can use is something you already have. Wise words. If you order a gift box from us, the shipping box may have packing peanuts, packing paper, or even bubble wrap in it. Why? We reuse almost everything that is sent to us. So, when the bath bombs arrive in bubble wrap, we reuse that for our online marketplace orders. When our Taino mugs come wrapped in paper, we use that as filler in our shipping boxes. In fact, we’ve only had to purchase packing paper a couple of times since we launched in 2020 due to our commitment to repurposing the packaging.
3. We are careful how and when we print.
Did you know our business cards are printed on eco-friendly botanical paper embedded with seeds? Yes – you can actually plant them in your flower bed. It’s seriously so cool. We also use eco-friendly post-recycled paper for the inserts we put in our luxury corporate gift boxes. Wondering if those handwritten notes are eco-friendly? You betcha. 
4. We choose sustainable fabrics for our branded shirts and totes.
Our branded shirts are made of bamboo and organic cotton, then printed with water-based inks. These inks keep chlorine-based chemicals and harsh cleaning solvents out of the water system. Our totes are made of post-consumer recycled materials, and of course, are reusable.
5. We source local when we can.
Being based in Austin, there are lots of choices for sustainability-focused suppliers. We love to support our local economy and know this reduces emissions related to shipping.
We are still on a journey to becoming carbon neutral. But we believe that every sustainable choice is a good one. We continue learning from companies like our corporate gift supplier, B.A.R.E. Soaps, who sets a great example of what it looks like to run a sustainability-first business.
One note of encouragement for businesses whose founders or CEOs aren’t super into sustainability. There can be a financial benefit in being able to market to a generation who deeply values corporate commitments to sustainability. Sustainable business choices make sense for the planet, and likely for your business’s financial success as well.
What choices do you make to lead a more sustainable life?
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