What is your name and position?: Polly Goddard – Vice President
What is your business name?: Bum Boosa Bamboo Products
What does your business do/what industry are you in?: Bum Boosa Bamboo Products produces eco-friendly personal care products made from bamboo. Our biodegradable bamboo baby wipes are made with a natural solution and include no harsh chemicals or alcohol. Our bamboo bathroom tissue is packaged in recycled materials – no plastic. Bamboo is a renewable, sustainable resource and our bathroom tissue is in response to the issue of BPAs leaching into the groundwater from toilet paper made from recycled content. Our diaper rash ointment is made with bamboo silk powder and a variety of herbs and essential oils known for their healing and soothing properties.
What are your “Green” activities (please be specific)?: We plant trees with Trees for the Future for every individual item sold to help stop and reverse deforestation;
We offset 35 tons of carbon emissions annually by purchasing carbon credits through CarbonFund.org;
We ship in recycled and/or reclaimed boxes;
We reclaim paper and other office supplies to keep them out of the landfill (which explains why your invoice/receipt/sales package might come on odd-colored paper);
We use environmentally-conscious office practices and supplies;
We maintain paper-free records as much as possible;
We carpool whenever possible;
We operate as much of the business as possible from home offices to reduce travel;
We make efforts to reclaim our packaging for alternative reuse;
We use satellite storage facilities to reduce trucking of products more than necessary;
We aim to educate consumers about environmentally-responsible options and choices.
How long have you been doing these activities?: Since the start of the business in March 2009
Why did you implement them?: We believe that it isn’t enough to create a new product but that it must make a significant difference in the world. To round out that philosophy, it only makes sense for us to be as green as possible in every aspect of our company possible.
How hard were these actions to implement?: Most of them were quite easy. It’s a matter of choosing appropriate measures and remaining committed to them. It’s also about understanding that doing the right thing often means spending more money – in some cases it’s a little more money and in some cases it’s a lot more money. But NOT doing isn’t an option.
What was the result –Financial/Bottom Line, Environmental, Good Will, etc.?: The results have been seen in customer loyalty and opening doors to new retailers/distributors/vendors etc. It will be seen in the bottom line eventually. We are such a new company that the financial impact is just a projection at this time. It has also given our company credibility with larger companies, green organizations, etc.
Do you have any advice for other small to mid-sized businesses who want to “Go Green”?: Start small. Commit to daily practices. This will grow and soon you can start looking into something a little larger or more significant. Make sure that the green steps you take make sense for your company. Don’t assume that buying carbon credits gets you off the hook for other wasteful/high-impact activities. Commit and you will be able to follow through.
 |