Sustainability In Our Shop
At Emerald Pearl we make environmental sustainability a priority. We understand that climate change poses a great threat to our community therefore we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint. Our sustainability goals will lead us through the next five years.
Our commitment to serving the community starts in our own shop. We intend to take one step at a time to environmental sustainability. These steps include in our shop, our warehouse and informing the consumer.
Increasing our recycling efforts:
This starts in the office. The goal is to increase recycling of office supplies by 30%. Currently our office employees own and operate recycling bins. These strategically placed bins recycle, plastics, paper and cardboard. On closer inspection paper waste is a major source of waste in our office. To combat paper waste we turn to software such as electronic calendars, email and contact lists to bring us closer together while decreasing our use of paper.
We also institute composting of coffee grounds and other kitchen waste such as fruit peels and left over vegetables.
Our recycling efforts do not stop in the office. The warehouse continuously recycles cardboard from packaging materials. Additionally, the warehouse recycles water used to cut and polish stone.
Reducing the use of plastic:
Our office goal is to reduce single use plastics from lunch by 25%. Many employees at some point or another have used single use plastics such as plastic utensils for lunch. We instead hope that by providing reusable utensils in the kitchen consumption of single use plastics will decrease.
Reusing materials:
One of the greatest forms of waste comes from left over pieces of rock material that get thrown out. Many of these pieces deserve a second chance. That is where our remnant program comes in. We push our customers to see the value of choosing remnants. Not only do they reduce waste, but also reduce costs.
Remnants can also become other things. For example, our warehouse artisans often create lazy susans, coasters, cake stands and more from remnants.
2018 interns from local high school, Mt. Tabor are seen throwing away remnants.
Remnants can become anything even a Lazy Susan.