San Francisco, California (September, 2016) The Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), dedicated to the acceleration of environmental and social sustainability in the pet industry, received the 2016 Ripples Award from B-Lab, the nonprofit behind the increasingly popular B Corp Certification, for the measurable impact the organization has had in the pet industry.
PSC is one of over 100 partners and 400,000 companies who make up the B Corp “Measure What Matters” community that empowers businesses to measure and manage their positive impact. There are now over 1800 Certified B Corporations in 50 countries and 130 industries with one goal; to use business as a force for good.
“We chose PSC for the Ripples Award in recognition of the Green Paw Program that increases the visibility of companies that are measuring what matters, and encourages industry dialogue around social and environmental impact,” stated the Measure What Matter’s Team from B Lab.
Participants of PSC’s Green Paw Program receive giant green paw floor decals that are placed near the entryway of their trade show booth to recognize companies who are actively measuring their performance and to encourage conversation around environmental and social impact on the trade show floor where a majority of big sales take place.
The Green Paw Program has been wildly successful. In 2016 the number of decals displayed on the trade show floor grew by 400% from the initial launch of the program in 2015. Additionally, there have been three key successes through the program that specifically address traditional barriers sustainable companies experience within the pet industry.
The first is that the program encourages conversation around environmental and social performance at the point of sale. By creating a conversation starter in a fun and visual way, the Green Paw decals drive an opportunity to address sustainability in a voluntary way that can go beyond compliance to create preference for companies investing in sustainable business practices.
The second success of the Green Paw Program is that it acts as a community builder for business leaders who are impact driven. The Green Paw decal acts as a self-identifier that establishes a sense of shared values and provides an opportunity for organic connection within the industry.
The third success of this program is by establishing a common metric for measuring sustainability performance, the industry becomes unified behind a common set of metrics, language, and principles. By creating a unified and voluntary platform for measuring sustainability, the industry moves closer to transparency that can build trust throughout the supply chain from farmer, to supplier, to brand, to retailer and finally to consumer.
“We are honored to have our work recognized amongst so many talented organizations. We are excited about some of the ideas we have to expand this program so that businesses that are committed to building a prosperous future for people, pets and the planet are rewarded not just by the personal fulfillment of doing good, but also so that they experience sustainability as a profitable business model,” stated Caitlyn Bolton, Executive Director of PSC.
To join in PSC’s progress and learn about the Green Paw Program visit the website, and follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
