What are you doing to go green?
Long gone are the days when hydroelectricity was confined to a single experiment in a physics class or solar panels seemed like the things of the future.
From multinational corporations to start-ups and universities to cafes, increased efforts to reduce carbon footprints are visible everywhere.
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But these global brands are taking sustainability to whole new level! Employing renewable sources, developing innovative technologies that reduce unnecessary use of resources and initiating campaigns that draw attention to the ever-luminescent issue of global warming, are just of the practices adopted by these brands to curb energy wastage.
Scroll right to find out how these top corporations are going green.
The Body Shop
Photo courtesy of The Body Shop
The leading skincare giant, that currently has over 900 proud products, has always been a shining example of how business can support a good cause. Over the years, The Body Shop has initiated several schemes to incorporate community trade, support local farmers and reduce carbon footprint, an overall of which can be seen in their Enrich Not Exploit campaign.
Apple
Recognised as one of the top green tech companies, Apple has been making conscious efforts to introduce renewable energy sources to power their data centres, working on developing energy efficient laptops, hand phones, and desktops and using waste materials to manufacture packaging materials. As a part of their efforts ‘to ask less of the planet’, 100% of the electricity to power their data centres and 96% electricity to power their worldwide facilities comes from renewable energy sources like wind, hydro and solar.
Levi Strauss & Co.
Photo courtesy of Levi Strauss & Co.
The makers of comfortable denim wear, Levi Strauss & Co. are now working on manufacturing denim that significantly reduces the use of water. In their Water<Less campaign, Levi’s has come up with innovative processes that reduce the usage of water by 96% in some designs. Since the launch of the campaign in 2011, the company has managed to save 1 billion liters of water and hopes to make 80% of their products by adhering to the Water<Less techniques by 2020.
IKEA
Photo courtesy of IKEA
Over the years, the IKEA Foundation has been involved with several projects that enforce sustainability and community development, a noteworthy campaign being the ‘Brighter Lives for Refugees.’ With this campaign, IKEA managed to raise a total of Є 30.8 million that enabled to bring solar energy to Jordan’s Azraq refugee camp, making it the world’s first camp to be powered by renewable energy.
Starbucks
Committed to better the environment, the 2020 sustainability goals of Starbucks revolve around planting one million coffee trees for farmers, increasing the reusability of Starbucks cups, employing war veterans, military spouses, and refugees, and implementing food share programmes. So, for every beverage you consume, the effects resonate positively all around. Java Chip anyone?
Nike
Photo courtesy of Nike
Knowing that their biggest environmental impacts are generated after the processing and finishing of materials, Nike designed a palette of sustainable premium recycled materials called Nike Grind that is used in 71% of Nike footwear and apparel, significantly reducing waste generation. The innovative thinkers at Nike are also working on solutions to cut down water usage and on incorporating renewable energy sources into their everyday operations.
This data-driven tech company is aiming to function 100% on renewable energy by this year. Not only does the company employ large scale renewable energy projects, it also focuses on creating an overall eco-working policy including the repurposing of leftover food in Google cafes. Google also makes a conscious effort to research climate change and dwindling ecosystems in their bid of going green and employing efficient energy resources.
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