Living in our gorgeous and sunny state, we Coloradans care about the Earth. It's ingrained in our lifestyle. A backyard full of mountains and the bluest skies around makes it easy to gain a vested interest in Mother Nature. That's why at BWBacon, we promote environmentally aware companies that focus on sustainability, solve environmental problems, and are good corporate citizens.
We know you have several options for employment. But if you want to work for people doing good work for the world at large, these companies are just a few known for their strong commitment to environmental issues.
A company producing cleaning products is already going to have an uphill battle with their environmental impact. We immediately think about plastic bottles and so much waste. But Seventh Generation is different. They fought that battle well with biodegradable solutions and chlorine-free paper products.
These initiatives aren't just outward-facing. Seventh Generation created a financial incentive for staff to come up with new sustainability solutions. Even the company's main headquarters is a LEED-certified building. Plus, their name (based on an Iroquois term saying that "...we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations") speaks to the company's prime directive around sustainable.
Patagonia makes environmental concerns part of their core mission. Three-quarters of their products' materials are "environmentally preferred," a coined term used for recycled, organic, or generally environmentally sound sources. It's pretty cool, too. Most of their fleece coats contain recycled plastic, which not only helps the environment but increases the durability of the fabric.
The company is not shy about their activism, encouraging employees to contribute to similar causes. Since 1995, they've allowed employees up to two months with full pay to volunteer with environmental organizations. Also, the "Answer with Action" section of their site connects customers to local grassroots initiatives for the environment to help everyone get involved.
This Boulder-based solar technology company spells out the problem well in their mission statement: "Wunder is addressing the greatest crisis of our generation by accelerating the proliferation of solar energy."
Wunder's mission aims to finance commercial and community solar projects as accessible and straightforward as possible. By making solar energy financially attractive to investors, Wunder helps to increase the potential for the industry as a whole to grow and thrive.
Another Colorado-based environmental leader is New Belgium Brewing out of Fort Collins. Clean water is crucial to the beer-making process, and brewing involves a great deal of energy expenditure. Their manufacturing process involves strict monitoring of energy and resource use. They strive to cut down their carbon footprint by reusing or composting more than 75% of the waste produced. They even have an employee Prius sharing program. Pretty sweet!
To put it simply, Flowater is on "a mission to save the planet." This Denver-based company provides pure, clean water through its refill stations to eliminate plastic bottle waste. Through their efforts, they've saved more than 133 million bottles (and counting) by posting their stations in locations like businesses, schools, and hotels. They even rent the stations for outdoor events like Coachella.
Companies across every industry recognize how important it is to be eco-friendly. It's not just good press; these initiatives make people want to work for them and keep retention high. Even those that don't work directly with the Earth's finite resources are trying to reduce their footprint and be better global citizens. As we've specified before, we want to be at the forefront of supporting these companies and these actions.
Here at BWBacon Group, we know and live what you are experiencing as an employer or job seeker in Denver, Boulder, Dallas, San Francisco, New York City or any of the other cities we work in. We believe great recruiting starts and ends with understanding people.
If you have any questions about living, working or playing any of the areas we serve, please contact us. We are happy to help. Seize the day, every day, that’s what we say!