It's Earth Day! Today marks a yearly reminder that we all live on one planet. One that has taken care of us. One that we should take care of in return. This is especially important to us here at ELM. ELM has always incorporated imagery associated with nature, such as the elm tree, green grass, and blue sky. Many of our core values at ELM involve nurturing our team, growing our products, features, and functionality, and planting seeds for the future.
And every year, we look for more ways to give back to our communities and our planet. We often have the best intentions but don't know where to start.
This year's key focus will be on reducing our waste, as we know this is something each ELM team member has direct control over. We also wanted to participate in global efforts to be clean and sustainable. We are proud to support the Ocean Conservancy this year by making a $2,000 donation to worldwide conservation efforts.
In addition, we have identified a few ways we can make a difference in the office:
Limiting the amount of single-use bottled water we purchase in the office (in favor of refilling stations)
Replacing disposable coffee cups with reusable ceramic ones
Recycling paper waste
Limiting the amount of cars on the road with optional work-from-home days
What are some other ways we can all help the environment? Here are a few other ideas for how you can help protect the earth:
Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Follow the three "R's" to conserve natural resources and landfill space, as well as cut down on what you throw away.
Volunteer. Volunteer for cleanups in your community. You can get involved in protecting your watershed (an area of land where all of the water that drains off of it goes into the same place—a river, stream or lake), too.
Educate. When you further your education, you can help others understand the importance and value of our natural resources.
Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually end up in the ocean.
Shop wisely. Buy less plastic and bring a reusable shopping bag.
Use long-lasting light bulbs. Energy-efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also, it is always better to flip the light switch off when you leave the room.
Plant a tree. Trees provide food and oxygen. They help save energy, clean the air, and help combat climate change.
Don't send chemicals into our waterways. Choose non-toxic chemicals in the home and office.
Bike more. Drive less. We already have someone that uses her electric scooter to get to work!
We're excited to give back to our community and the planet, and we hope you are too!