Environmental & Social Responsibility
Brightlane is proud to be a local business that provides jobs in our Central Coast of California community, but we’re also happy to go the extra mile in making a difference in the world where we can. We believe that each business choice we make should take into account more than just profits.
We know that many of our customers choose to shop with us because of our commitment to ethical practices. We want you to know that we do the same. We make a concerted effort to work with vendors, suppliers, manufacturers and other business partners who are equally committed to causes such as sustainability, charitable giving and equity for all.
But really, the effort starts with us.
Environmental Responsibility
We make a continuous, concerted effort in environmental sustainability practices. It starts in our warehouse where on a small scale, we do our personal best to do little things like reuse scrap paper and separate our trash and recycling. We traded in our single-serving coffee pot for a good ol’ fashioned drip machine a while back, and we’ve planted our small outdoor area with native plants.
Packaging
On the shipping front, we’re happy to report that we now use only paper packing tape. Made with 50% recycled content, this paper packing tape even uses a plant-derived biodegradable adhesive. It’s also compostable and doesn’t stop the boxes they’re used on from being recycled. We’ve come up with two different solutions to our old plastic bubble wrap: either a biodegradable and recyclable ‘green’ wrap (kinda like bubble wrap but without the plastic), or compostable shredded paper. Our shipping boxes and printed materials in each order are recyclable. Finally, our mailing envelopes are made from 100% recycled material, and they’re also reusable.
Carbon Neutral Shipping
But what about the actual shipping itself? For this issue we’ve worked with our commerce platform, Shopify. We’re excited that we can now offer carbon neutral shipping on all deliveries! Here’s how it works: a formula developed by Shopify data scientists calculates the estimated carbon emissions generated by our orders each month. We pay a fee to Shopify and that money goes toward carbon removal and ensures that our shipping is carbon neutral.
We’re proud of our environmentally friendly practices here at Brightlane, as well as the hard work of all our team members to come up with some excellent solutions.
Social Responsibility
At Brightlane, our team is at the center of everything we do. We have monthly safety meetings for open discussion and training. Our Wellness Committee plans activities to promote physical and mental wellness from healthy eating presentations, to office stretching routines, to chalk mandala art parties, to Nonviolent Communication training. We have annual team activities: an annual volunteering event for a local non-profit, a holiday dinner, and our beloved annual Swaporama. Team members bring items they no longer want, and we have a free swap meet with leftover items donated to our local thrift stores.
We have been through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion trainings led by Dr. Joy Pederson, Dean of Students at Cal Poly State University and board member for Transition-Mental Health Association - a local mental health non-profit based in San Luis Obispo. We weave awareness around DEI into how we treat ourselves, each other, and our customers and vendors.
Our team prides itself on encouraging compassion, authenticity and open mindedness in all we do. We all come to work as our authentic selves, and we celebrate our wins and losses together. We feel free to speak up about our needs in an empathetic work environment that values a work-life balance. We have received several Family Friendly Workplace awards from our local Chamber of Commerce.