March 20, 2017

How To Reduce Your Ecological Footprint

Reducing our Ecological Footprint

Our environment is our most precious possession: it's the only one we've got and we can't afford to mess this up. Ecological diversity is what makes our sacred planet Earth the only livable habitat in our galaxy. Taking care of it is crucial for our existence and the existence of future generations.

There are many ways each of us can contribute to reduce our ecological footprint:

• Reducing Carbon Emissions:

This is the first step to help preserve our planet. Take responsibility for your carbon footprint and ask yourself how much waste are you accountable for and what can you do about it? Carbon emissions are a huge component of global warming, and changing our routines even just a little bit can be a great help. Checking the air pressure in your tires regularly not only prolongs the life of your tires, but also improves gas mileage. Carpooling or changing your work or travel hours to off-peak traffic hours will not only greatly reduce emissions, but will positively impact your standard of living! Or forego the car ride altogether. Get out and walk, enjoy the fresh air!

• Being a Smarter Consumer:

Your choices as a consumer have a big impact on the environment. Give preference to products that are eco-friendly and food items that come from sustainable agriculture practices. Eat smart, eat local. This reduces greenhouse gases from the transport of food alone. When shopping for large appliances, look for energy-efficient products not only to preserve power consumption but to lower your energy bill. Check the insulation in your home to make sure your central air is not conditioning the outdoors. Turn off lights and thermostats when you're not there. Be water-wise and reduce waste. Here in CA, we certainly understand the implications of a drought now more than ever. Simple. Small everyday choices are seemingly ineffective in the grand scheme of things, but collectively can make a big difference.

• Reusing and Recycling:

Make the effort to separate your recyclables from organic waste. You can even pocket a few extra dollars from your local recycling center. Have the kids help - let them take responsibility for managing the recyclables, then let them see the rewards of their conservation from the payout. When going to the grocery store, reuse plastic bags or take your own shopping bag (if not required by law already anyway!). Buy and sell used goods. If you are cleaning out your closet, don't be so quick to trash those old clothes; instead donate it to someone in need.

These examples are just general eco-conscious steps in our everyday lives, but here at Mockett, we are always looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact too. It not only helps protect the environment, but it also promotes the well-being of our employees. Taking care of our planet is very important to us, and we’ve already taken some actions to help preserve it. In addition to taking our suppliers' practices into account when considering new products, here are a few other ways we are promoting a cleaner and healthier environment:

1) Reusing production materials

Many of our plastic grommets are made from regrind material so the scraps from the press are reused to make new parts rather than simply going in the waste bin.

2) Changing our packaging

We managed to massively cut down on waste in our packaging. We did away with the old Styrofoam packing peanuts years ago in favor of more environmentally friendly air pouches. These air packets are not only more eco-friendly, they are also vastly more efficient and help protect the contents of our packages greater than ever before. Easy to tear to size, minimizing waste as well.

3) Bikes instead of cars

We also put a program together in recent years to purchase bicycles for employees who live close and were willing to ride to work in favor of driving. This program has been a huge success in promoting fitness, healthy lifestyles, and inspired living.

Now that you’ve come this far, go to Twitter with the hashtag #reducingfootprint and tag us @dougmockett to let us know how you or your company have been reducing your carbon footprint!

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