Small Actions Can Make the World More Sustainable

THE BIG IMPACT OF SMALL ACTIONS

“The cost of inaction is higher than the cost of action.”

C.B. Battacharya boils down the necessity of taking environmental action to this simple metric in his book “Small Actions, Big Difference.”

And this idea is true for both businesses and individuals, as our environment governs all our interactions. But, alongside this proposition, Battacharya also warns:

“If you don’t focus on something, then nothing gets done.”

This means that every small act to help the environment counts. In fact, baby steps are encouraged; cumulatively, every little bit done adds up to an enormous effort. That’s why it’s imperative that each employee at an organization, no matter what position they hold — and each person on the planet, for that matter — must feel empowered to take even the tiniest steps toward sustainability.

And research shows that these minor moves matter. A 2015 initiative by students at Colorado State University demonstrates that just one classroom of people undertaking small efforts toward sustainability results in a massive impact. The study shows that in only 10 days, the classroom of students conserved 9,800 gallons of water (equivalent to 6,095 toilet flushes); diverted 409 pounds of waste (about 28 bags of garbage); and saved 5,918 pounds of carbon dioxide (equivalent to the emissions from powering four homes for one month).

WHAT WE’RE DOING

At Boxed Water, we work hard to find ways to make the world more sustainable. One way we do this is by making our packaging as eco-friendly as possible, utilizing mostly paper and plant-based plastic for our packaging. In April, we rolled out a new plant-based bottle cap that is made from recycled nordic pine trees, which have lower carbon dioxide emissions than sugar cane. (Sugar cane production affects the Amazon rainforest and contains PLA and PHA.) Now, every Boxed Water container is 92% plant-based — the highest in the industry — as well as 92% renewable. 

And, for the last five years, Boxed Water has run the #BetterPlanet campaign, in which we commit to planting two trees on your behalf when you feature Boxed Water in an Instagram post using the #BetterPlanet hashtag. On April 22 — Earth Day 2020 — we announced that we surpassed our milestone of planting 1 million trees. But we’re not stopping there. 

Meeting the goal for this initiative, which we have undertaken in partnership with the National Forest Foundation since 2015 in areas affected by deforestation and wildfires, has inspired us to make a pledge to plant another 1 million trees. To make this happen, we’re asking for your help: We encourage you to name a plant in your local space (think: a houseplant or a tree in your backyard or neighborhood), take a photo of it, and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #BetterPlanet. For each post, we’ll plant two trees for you in our U.S. national forests.

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Not on Instagram? You can also submit a name here, along with the reason for the name you’ve chosen, and we’ll match your submission with two trees.

Whether the name you choose is serious or silly, meaningful or whimsical, the act of naming your tree helps you develop a deeper connection with the environment. And while most of us are currently unable to visit a forest, we can still honor nature from our homes. 

Naming a tree is a small act that will produce big results: One planted tree can consume 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and release enough oxygen for one person to breathe for two years. And, in addition to helping reforest 1 million acres of land in need, planting trees removes harmful pollutants from the air. Not to mention, national forests provide fresh water for millions of Americans.

As Battacharya says:

“No action is small enough. Whatever is in your realm of influence, you have to do it. Being a bystander is not an option anymore.”

IN THE NAME OF TREES 

To commemorate our milestone of 1 million trees planted, along with celebrating the rollout of our new plant-based cap, we’re inviting you to take some small steps toward sustainability with us. 

On May 15, Boxed Water is hosting “In the Name of Trees,” an event that will be broadcast on Facebook and Instagram Live. During the live video celebration, we’ll spotlight your efforts and share some of our favorite named trees, as well as salute the National Forest Foundation for helping us undertake the #BetterPlanet campaign. And, of course, we’ll honor the source that truly makes it all possible to make the world more sustainable: the trees.

Click here to Name your Tree!