How Community Involvement In A Business Plays A Role In Sustainability

Community and business. You may see these two words as separate, but they actually can have a considerable influence on each other. From community volunteering to charity support to investments in sustainable organizations, the community can significantly impact business – and the sustainable nature of our world. Read on to discover more!

‍

What is a sustainable community?

A sustainable community is one that utilizes the resources available to it to meet its current needs, all whilst making sure that enough of these materials are available for generations in the future. This process includes all community members in a long-term planning procedure that helps expand their economy, meet social requirements, and protect and preserve our environment.

Link to business

Implementing sustainable processes into business strategies is slowly becoming the norm, but most companies haven’t quite hit the mark of what it’s meant by being sustainable. Some brands think that small, straightforward acts are enough – but in reality, the planet is more complicated than this. Looking for shortcuts in environmental, economic, and social processes frequently leads to issues like greenwashing.

‍

However, businesses that take sustainability more seriously only have one singular option to hit success: ensuring that their whole community is engaged with their sustainability targets. 

Project Vermont

Let’s take a look at an exceptional example of community involvement in the business.

‍

Project Vermont originated over a decade ago when discussing sustainability didn’t seem as relevant as it is now. Despite this, Lise-Anne and Scott Cooledge had a passion for sustainability and strove ahead of the times to tackle the planet’s concerning waste problem. Lise-Anne started making business for herself, selling mittens and other clothing items at markets in St Albans, various craft shows, and even Jeffersonville’s The Mill. Whilst this family-led business sourced scrap fabrics and clothing items from relatives and friends, it became apparent that big firms would also have an excess of discarded material.

‍

Outerknown

As a brand with a clear, sustainable vision, Outerknown kicked off Project Vermont. Led by Lise-Anne, this is essentially a society of Vermont handcrafters working together towards one sustainable mission. This project celebrates everything that screams craft, offering a second chance to discarded materials that would have otherwise been sent to polluting landfill sites. Through upcycling, Project Vermont takes Outerknown on a journey towards hitting the ambitious target of full circularity by the year 2030.

‍

You can find many different items in this sustainable selection, including those which are ideal for the winter season, like blankets, mittens, and pillows, as well as other quality options, such as tote bags. The collection is available on Outerknown’s website, where consumers can scan the items of their personal preference. The prices can range depending on what thing you’re searching for – whether this is a limited-edition pick or a small set of coasters.

Getting the community involved

As the project’s leading members, the Cooledge family have ambitions of turning Project Vermont into something more than just a retailer. They want to facilitate people’s access to a creativity and learning hub, recognizing the importance of education. Indeed, Scott has been particularly enthusiastic about getting children involved in Project Vermont and has already worked to help students in St Albans with various arty projects. After all, kids are the future generation who will take care of our planet, meaning they need to be environmentally aware.

‍

Since sewing is dying out as a school subject, Scott suggested that students interested in this could take advantage of workshops and internships offered by Project Vermont. Furthermore, the project could also benefit students interested in science via a discussion of reuse and waste on field trips.

Key Takeaways

• We can learn that businesses may be able to benefit from getting the community involved with their sustainable practices. Consumers are increasingly searching for sustainable items, so organizations that step up to this demand will likely succeed over their competitors – especially if they offer individuals a chance to get more involved in the process.
• Furthermore, businesses may be able to reduce their costs by taking notice of sustainability. Fees are often associated with the unnecessary waste of resources. Thus, by cutting out this loss, companies can terminate waste and start directing more focus to savings.
• Finally, it’s apparent that there is only one choice for companies wanting to succeed in this present day: they have to take a more sustainable direction and adapt to our current climate.