Sustainability Promise
Sustainably speaking –
Please join me on a sustainability journey over the next 12 months to take steps in becoming a thriving Sustainable Business.
If you are at the beginning of your sustainable journey, the prospect of where to start can be daunting. So much information, so much to do, when and where do I begin, and how do I do it without breaking the already fragile bank.
If you have been participating tactically or by random action, now is the time to regroup and focus on a lifelong strategy that will help keep it all in perspective.
If you are well on your way, this may just be a reminder of what you already know, and you will realize that there is always something to be learned and put into action.
STEP ONE
MAKE A PUBLIC COMMITMENT.
Just start NOW, where ever you may be, commit to improve and to continue to improve. Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. Sure there are great milestones along the way; however the key here is to realize this is an ongoing process and within your commitment to improve comes your resolve to keep improving. Take that step.
Our sustainability promise goes something like this –
Sustainability Promise of 10% More than the year before.
We commit to a minimal improvement of 10% each year when it comes to Sustainable Business Practices. Our sustainable focus is in the area of “Triple Bottom Line,” also know as; People, Planet, and Profit.
Where ever you’re at, we applaud you for even thinking about moving in this direction. Now, TAKE ACTION! Don’t leave the site of setting this goal without writing down your commitment. Feel free to copy ours, just make it your own philosophy.
For more information and sustainable resources, check out these sites
www.SustainableCateringAssociation.org
www.naturalstep.org
www.sbnportland.org
My first article as Vice President for the Association of Caterers and Event Professionals (ACEP)
Sustainably Speaking…
What is Sustainability? Is it the same as green? Eco friendly?
Sustainability is just one word and yet there exists over 300 definitions.
The best-known definition of sustainability is the definition by the World Commission on Environment and Development. This suggests that sustainability is defined as “forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”
People, Planet, Profit… this is where sustainability comes together. For us in business, we are well aware of the term “Profit” and what it means if there is none. For many years, this was the standard metric for measuring a businesses success. Profit, the bottom line, getting in the black, making money!
However, as we have seen in the current state of the economy, BUSINESS AS USUAL IS BROKEN! Enron should have been a wake up call that trouble was a brewing, but the economic meltdown prior to the election in 2008 left us all in a haze and one thing is for sure, things will never be the same again. I think as a whole, consumers are fed up with banks and big business who don’t give a rip about the community that supports them and folks are looking for more out of their dollar, spending their hard earned cash on things they support, not just need. Accountability is what we are looking for and a whole new metric for accounting is fast becoming the norm, ESPICIALLY here in Portland.
This is where the new metric of including the People, Planet, and Profit in your bottom line will set you apart. And the key is to strike a BALANCE, so Profit is not negatively affected, but actually grows because the community which supports you, knows you care about them too!
Please check out Sustainably Speaking every month to learn more about Sustainability and how to start taking steps now, from where ever you and your business may be.
Mark Lopez
Vice President, ACEP
Owner, Crave Catering
www.cravepdx.com
VOTED BEST CATERER at Bravo! Live 2009
That’s right! Bravo! Live attendees voted Crave Catering as”Best Caterer!”
Planners that attended the Bravo! Live Showcase of the Hospitality and Meeting Industry voted for their favorite booths in the following categories:
Most Memorable Booth: Peter Corvallis Productions
Friendliest Booth: Team Casino
Best Catering Booth: Crave Catering
Congratulations to the winners!
Special thanks to the Crave Catering team!
Our local and sustainable treats that rocked the house and won the crowd over.
Stuffed New Potato w/ Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Red Onion Balsalmic Relish featuring Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue and Smokey Blue Cheese and Gee Creek Farm Organic New Potatoes.
Spicy Oregon Albacore Tuna Roll featuring Certified Sustainable Oregon Albacore.
Caprese Crostini featuring Gee Creek Farm Red and Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes.
Chocolate Stuffed Strawberries featuring Unger Farms strawberries.