As a business owner, you know you have a responsibility to your local community, but you may have some questions about how to meet it. How can you contribute to your community in a way that will truly resonate with residents? Is there an approach you can take that can serve your community’s as well as your business’ needs?
That’s where the Keep America Beautiful Campaign, which is officially recognized during the month of April, comes in. Sponsored by Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization, its mission is to engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments through litter prevention, waste reduction/recycling and community beautification.
It’s a campaign that is certain to hit home, on some level, with nearly everyone in your community. Eco-savvy or not, most people will welcome any simple initiatives that help make their town or city look its best – especially as the spring season gets underway and people opt to spend more time outdoors.
So whether it’s planting trees along urban streets or providing recycling receptacles at your establishment, make it a point to help Keep America Beautiful this April. Use one of the ideas below as a starting point, and ask your employees for their ideas and input. Then, let your grassroots initiatives begin.
• Think outside of the box with recycling: Recycling newspapers as well as glass, plastics and aluminum has become commonplace, but many residents are still unaware of how to properly dispose of their electronics. Encourage the members of your community to “e-cycle,” by placing bins at your location where they can drop off old or unused cell phones, televisions or computers. Visit earth911.com for a list of recycling centers that can serve as partners in your efforts.
• Paper or plastic? Try suggesting neither: For many shoppers, carrying a canvas tote bag to transport their purchases has become the norm, so why not have eco-conscious members of your community sport one with your logo? You can give the branded bags away to customers who spend a predetermined amount at your store or designate a day of the month when you will give one out with every order. If you’d rather not create your own bags, offer a discount to those customers who use a reusable bag or decline a bag for their purchases.
• Get dirty and dig in: Trees and flowers do more than just please the eyes – they actually help purify the air. So organize – and equip – a team of volunteers to spruce up your business neighborhood by removing litter and weeds and planting new shrubs and flowers. Or, get your team to donate time – while you donate the materials – at a local school or community center that could benefit from your green thumbs.
For more information on ways you can help Keep America Beautiful, visit www.kab.org.
