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Going Green: How Sustainability Can Work for a Company

1. Introduction: What is Sustainability... Really? -- by David E. Kepler of The Dow Chemical Company
2. What “Going Green” Means for Us -- by Darren Hammell of Princeton Power Systems, Inc.

3. Going Green: What It Means for Our Industry and Organization -- by Raju Boligala of HerbThyme Farms, Inc.

4. Conclusion: Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points
5. About the Authors

Going Green: What It Means for Our Industry and Organization

By Raju Boligala President and CEO, HerbThyme Farms, Inc.:

Going green for our industry means growing products organically and naturally. We use our own land, so sustainability of the land is very important to us. Compared to conventionally grown products that use chemicals, organic products are 100 percent natural. Using biodegradable packaging for our products is another way that we have gone green.
In the last two or three years, a lot of changes have impacted us. About three years ago, we did not have many choices in the plastic that we used to pack our herbs. Now, completely biodegradable plastic is available. These changes will help us go further green.

Our Sustainability Efforts

We have been converting more of our land into organic production. We grow plants and then till them into the soil so that the soil can self-make, so to speak, its own fertilizers. As a result, we do not have to use any extra fertilizer. We also plant our plants using biodegradable pots. Our shipping containers are biodegradable as well; we use natural paper products.
Most of our efforts are working extremely well and, as a by-product, we have been able to reduce the cost of growing. Of course, it takes a lot of energy and time to monitor the effect of these efforts. For example, we do not use any synthetic chemicals to kill insects in our organic production areas. Instead, we use things like ladybugs that will, in a sense, naturally take care of pests. In this way, we are not only reducing our costs for chemicals, but also enhancing the flavor of these products. That is how we measure the success.
I am a firm believer that when you want change to happen in an organization, and you want new things, the leader has to be fully committed. You have to walk the talk and be consistent. Personally, I am a vegetarian, and have always tried to buy organic foods. Owing to my personal beliefs and the realization that other consumers share them, I was able to drive the changes and stay on course. We are extremely passionate about the quality of our products, their taste, and our customer service. Our employees take pride in what they do.

Environmentally Friendly Practices at Our Company

We recycle all of our paper products in all of our facilities. All of the plastic containers that we use for transportation are cleaned and reused. We grow our products in a biodegradable system. We also assess the reasons we have to scrap or dump any product on a weekly basis, so that we can minimize it going forward.
In the last three years, our policies have changed tremendously. We are constantly looking to use materials that are biodegradable, do not have a long life, and cannot hurt the plants or soil. If we can eliminate plastic and use biodegradable materials, we know it will help us protect the environment. We are testing containers that are made out of paper as well as bamboo, corn, and rice hull. As new products become available, we are on the forefront of testing. Before we make changes, however, we have to test how well the containers hold up in transport and on the shelf.

Best Practices for Creating a Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Culture

The industry standards are moving in the direction of going organic, preserving food safety, introducing product traceability, ensuring that the soil is well maintained and that the products are not harmful to the earth or the natural habitat of the soil, and using biodegradable products for packing and shipping.
The first step that led to the evolution of these practices was consumer interest in organic products. Once the demand was there, we tried to meet it. We took the bull by the horns and started communicating the advantages of buying naturally grown organic products from California that were packed in the U.S. All of our products are traceable to the plot where they came from and we track food safety and quality each day. We are certified by independent agencies on a regular basis.

To encourage our employees’ involvement with sustainability practices, we give awards every quarter and year to people who come up with ideas and demonstrate their willingness to make changes that will make a difference within the company as well as with customers. This is interlinked to our strategy and production processes that extend all the way to the harvesting of the plants.
We give out a “Best Idea” award. Other awards include “Best Customer Satisfaction” and “Overall Result Achievement.” The “Best Idea” award mainly addresses how we can sustain our growth and, at the same time, use practices that are environmentally friendly. We give out plaques as well as monetary awards, and publish the employees’ photos and ideas in our newsletter.

Challenges in Promoting Environmentally-Friendly Practices

With any change, whether it is embracing environmentally-friendly practices or focusing on the customer, the leader has to be committed — not just in words, but in actions. It is the role of the CEO to be on the forefront and develop the policies, but not by him- or herself. He or she needs to integrate them as part of the fabric of the company and the culture. That is how you make changes stick; otherwise they just fizzle out.
Whenever you talk about change, it becomes very hard for people to accept. We created a culture where we promoted the idea that change is good, and that people should anticipate and embrace change. We are committed as a management team, and by constantly reinforcing our belief systems, we are able to convince our employees to do the right thing.

4. Conclusion: Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points
5. About the Authors

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