Our commitment to the planet
Business as a force for good
From public transparency to environmental performance (and so much more), being a B Corp means we’re working alongside a network of companies looking to redefine what success in business really means. Businesses awarded the B Corp title have met the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. We’ve been assessed and scored on how our company impacts our workers, customers, community, and the environment – and then this information is released to the public via the B Corp directory. Being a Certified B Corp isn’t just a one-and-done thing, but rather an ongoing adventure into becoming the best version of ourselves! Like other B Corp companies, we are constantly looking for ways to increase our Impact Assessment Score and our sustainability efforts as a whole.
Our B Corp Commitments
These commitments deal with the policies and practices in place at EarthHero that relate to our mission and values, sustainability, and transparency
- We treat our social and environmental impact as a primary measure of success for our business
- All employees establish personal goals and achievements related to social and environmental impact
- We track metrics related to our social and environmental impact, like carbon emissions and food waste
- We have policies in place to promote ethical decision-making
These commitments relate to our employees’ financial, physical, professional, and social well-being
- We provide financial services for informed financial decision-making
- We provide adequate and continual training for employees
- We support cross-training and professional development through mentoring and career development plans
- We offer flexible work arrangements and time off for full-time employees, including mandatory time off
These commitments involve our company’s contribution to the economic and social well-being of the communities we are a part of.
- We support marginalized communities through our supply chain purchasing practices (e.g. Fair Trade)
- Our job postings include our commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts
- We are committed to having a 50%+ majority-minority/diverse managers
- We have an active giving program through 1% for the Planet and support local organizations throughout the year through in-kind or monetary donations
These commitments delve into our environmental stewardship as a company and how we care for our planet.
- We are committed to sourcing products that support conservation and protect our planet
- We have implemented energy conservation efforts through goal-setting, solar panel installation, and continual sustainability training for employees
- We calculate and offset our GHG emissions and have strict commitments to reduction efforts
- We have a robust recycling and composting program which helps us in our efforts to become a low-waste facility
These commitments relate to our engagement with direct and indirect customers.
- We track and establish goals around customer satisfaction
- We pride ourselves on our educated Community Experience Team who offer live chat functions and on-demand support to all customers
- We connect with brands who also do good, including those who donate or support their local communities around the world
Giving back to our planet
EarthHero is proud to be a member of 1% For The Planet. We donate 1% of our sales annually towards sustainability initiatives and organizations that give back to the planet. Luckily for us, many of our brands are also members, which makes our impact even greater! Plus, all team members at EarthHero also take part in local environmental initiatives to support our community.
Meet some of our 1% partners
Non-Profit Spotlight: Ocean Blue Project
Q&A with Global Greengrants Fund
Non-Profit Spotlight: Intersectional Environmentalist
Measure, Reduce, Offset
At EarthHero, we have been committed to reducing our carbon footprint since the very beginning – and getting Climate Neutral Certified in 2021 meant taking our climate commitment to the next level. We measured and offset the prior year’s carbon footprint and reduced our emissions moving forward through this process. We purchased carbon credits through Climate Neutral, which goes towards climate change solutions like renewable energy development and reforestation projects. The Climate Neutral Certification process also involves making a plan to enact real and lasting changes to lower our overall emissions – with the goal of one day reaching zero emissions.
How does Climate Neutral work?
This involves assessing the carbon footprint of each step in our operations, including
- Electrical consumption
- Natural gas consumption
- Business Air/Car travel & hotel stays
- Purchase Orders
- Capital Purchases
- Employee Commuting
- Downstream Shipping
- Upstream Shipping
Our Reduction Action Plan (RAP) involves detailed and time-bound goals to reduce our emissions, spearheaded by internal committees and oversee planning and goal execution
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Food Waste:
- Using a TerraCycle box to recycle hard-to-recycle materials (like commercial chewing gum, plastic-lined coffee cups, and chip wrappers)
- composting in the office
- shopping for snacks at our local bulk and packaging-free store
- promoting and leading education around food waste in the office through mini-trainings
- Installed smart technology for lights
- Track our electric-energy consumption
- Set reasonable year-round goals to reduce our electricity usage
- De-incentivize “hassle-free” returns
- Educate customers on the environmental impact of trend-based shopping and impulse buying
- track returns and set goals for overall reduction
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Product Sustainability:
- Reduce product packaging waste
- Support brands with reducing their own packaging emissions
- Employee Emissions
We worked with Climate Neutral to calculate the cost of offsetting our carbon emissions and selecting projects to support
Forests- Reforestation in Brazil (2020): We support Fazenda Sao Nicolao, which is a reforestation project that works in the Amazon rainforest / Atlantic forest boundary. It is the first reforestation project certified by Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and was founded with the intention of reforesting lands decimated in the 1980s and 1990s for cattle ranching and coffee production. The goal of the reforestation project is to increase the forest’s carbon stock and increase its biodiversity by replanting 54 native Brazilian plants into the region.
- Avoided Deforestation in Peru (2020): This project supports brazil nut harvesting as a secondary income source for local communities to reduce deforestation. In addition, this project is working to educate locals on the ecological value associated with keeping the rainforest intact.
- Agrocortex Forestry in the Amazon (2021, 2022): This project involves the protection of some of the most threatened forests on the planet in an important biodiversity corridor that connects the Andes to the Amazon. Located in the Southwest Amazon, this initiative contributes to the long-term conservation of forestry in the area and serves as a barrier to deforestation.
- Wind Energy in China (2020): The Gansu Province Wind Project increases electricity generation from wind-powered technology to support greater renewable energy usage throughout Northwest China. Not only does this project reduce the dependency on fossil fuels but it also supports the development of a greener industry in the region for local job stimulation.
- Renewable Energy in the US (2021): This project called the Dempsey Ridge Wind Project generates wind near Cheyenne, Oklahoma to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in the area for energy production and use.
- Clean Cookstoves in Kenya (2020): This project involves the manufacturing and distribution of fuel-efficient Jikokoa cookstoves throughout Kenya which helped prevent carbon from entering our atmosphere and reduced deforestation associated with fuel collection.
- Biomass in India (2020): This project supports renewable heat production and alternative crop residue disposal for two small cogeneration plants in Punjab, India.
- Landfill Gas in China (2021): This project called the Haicheng Landfill Gas Project is to reduce methane emissions from the Haicheng Landfill site in Laojianshan, China from entering our atmosphere. The power generated is expected to be 16,000 MWh
- Landfill Gas in Illinois (2022): This project involves the capture and combustion of methane via combustion engines at the Clinton Landfill in Clinton, Illinois where electricity generated is sold to the local grid for public use.
Impact Reports
At EarthHero, two of our core values are "be transparent" and "be authentic". As a retailer, it's so important to live those values out each and every day. Our customers demand it from us and we believe this is what sets us apart from other retailers when it comes to social & environmental sustainability. One way we have committed to this is by compiling our wins, goals, and dreams in annual impact reports. Want to learn more? Click below.
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