“Doing Good” Can Help You “Do Well” | Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This post is authored by Nicole Clark, a student who participated in the Skandalaris Center Summer Internship this summer.

The Importance of Sustainability in Entrepreneurship

It’s no secret that environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important in our day-to-day lives. We are putting huge amounts of strain on our planet’s resources, and recently we have been observing the unfortunate effects that we as humans can have on the earth. It is vital that we develop and implement cleaner technologies in order to push us toward a Greener future— it can also be extremely rewarding for businesses to do so!

Today, many companies are focusing on reducing their water usage, carbon footprint, packaging waste, and other factors that contribute to their environmental impact. Companies that “incorporate design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate its negative impact on the environment and its occupants” are defined as Green workplaces. A few benefits of switching to a green workplace include:

A better culture. It has been proven that green workplaces have higher employee productivity than regular workplaces, as well as increased productivity, job satisfaction, and talent retention (Xenofontos).
A positive financial impact. For example, lessening the amount of material used in packaging a product will typically reduce the amount of money spent on the packaging. Sustainable practices also help to decrease electricity and waste costs.
More appealing to consumers. Over 90% of millennials said they would switch to consuming a brand simply because of its commitment to sustainable practices (Touch).
And more attractive to investors! Investors are drawn to sustainable businesses. A good reputation will spread throughout your community, and will lead to positive exposure.

This summer Kaldi’s Coffee treated students in the Skandalaris Center Summer Internship Program to a tour of their sustainable facilities. Kaldi’s is a St. Louis based business,incorporates sustainable practices into the company’s Community Commitment. Day-to-day, Kaldi’s recycles coffee grounds, plastic cups, and many of the to-go containers are made from recycled goods. Behind the scenes, Kaldi’s purchases coffee from farmers whose agricultural practices preserve the soil and protect the insects, birds, and wildlife that inhabit the ecosystem. These practices include Certified Organic and Bird-Friendly approaches to coffee cultivation. In addition to being environmentally cautious, Kaldi’s pays special attention to the social pillar of sustainability. Kaldi’s makes sure to work with farmers at origin, and maintains honest and mutually beneficial relationships with the farmers. The coffee is always purchased for at least 15% above Fair Trade minimum price, as Kaldi’s is sensitive to the economic challenges facing coffee growing families.

Kaldi’s is also committed to contributing to the local community. The company raises money for the National MS Society, sponsors Missouri’s largest Bike MS team, supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, supports UrbanFUTURE activities, supports Care to Learn, and so much more. With its commitment to preserving the earth and bettering the community around us, it is no surprise that Kaldi’s has grown to be an extremely successful business with a massive group of loyal customers.

The importance of sustainable practices is growing each and every day as our planet continues to struggle, and for that alone more businesses should consider incorporating sustainable practices into their mission statements. If not for the planet, then do it for the future of your business—doing good will help you do well, too!

Xenofontos, Annelie. “Benefits of Creating a Sustainable & Green Workplace.” Axiom Workplaces, axiomworkplaces.com.au/our-insight/sustainable-workplace-benefits/?source=post_page—————————.