Uncategorized
Subscribe to UncategorizedEthical Quandary: Organizations and Environmental v. Economic Sustainability
This afternoon I talked to a friend of mine who manages a non-profit alternative arts venue. Folks who frequent the place expressed concern about the cups the venue uses for beer, soda, and other beverages, which aren’t environmentally friendly. Alternative cups, made of corn, cost nearly three times as much as plastic cups cost. This makes for an interesting ethical quandary: when a non-profit arts venue like this already operates on something of a shoestring budget as it is and, and it, like any other non-profit is struggling in today’s economy, how much priority should it put on making strict, environmentally concerned concessions when this might mean cutting the already low pay of staffers or in this case? What if it means potentially closing the door on some artists because it is no longer affordable to sustain low-profit yielding shows?
-Filed in Uncategorized
Nathaniel Whittemore
Reposted from Twitter:
in the context of Community organizations and other small nonprofits, I think that if everyone has to do everything, the whole thing fails - in other words, environmental sustainablity if its possible to do it and still be financially sound. But at the end of the day, while everyone has to do their part, its not community nonprofits buying red cups that is melting ice caps.
June 11th, 2008 at 4:07 pmSkye Irvine
I agree with Nathaniel to an extent, but at the same time, isn’t it important for people do what they can? If you can buy an alternative to plastic cups, why not make that effort? Isn’t advocacy important on all levels?
Are there any organizations that help subsidize these small transitions? That would help temporarily subsidize these price increases?
June 12th, 2008 at 7:18 amBrad
Why not switch to reusable cups? Even if you have to outsource the washing to a local company its still gotta be cheaper than continually buying and throwing away cups.
June 12th, 2008 at 7:30 amSteve
It’s great that corn based plastics are creating awareness for doing the right thing, but there’s more to it than that. If it means a business has to choose between giving their employees healthcare (or even just meager wages) or putting their product in a ‘green’ cup, what do you do?
The rub is that the environment and the economy are not against each other- both are essential contingents of sustainability- and they must be balanced with culture and society. Any small business or nonprofit that gives a damn needs to carefully do the best they can with limited resources.
What really matters- what is ethical- is the acceptance that you’re not going to solve every problem all at once and the progress one makes and continues to make on all these fronts. Right now, they can’t afford these cups, but if paying their staff helps them grow and that leads them to a time where the cost of these cups is less of an issue, then today they are doing the right thing.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:06 amAlex Steed
Apparently, companies that report sustainability data generally experience higher gross margins and return on sales, higher return on assets, and stronger cash flow and rising shareholder return:
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/06/11/companies-that-report-sustainability-data-enjoy-higher-gross-margins/
June 12th, 2008 at 9:39 amEconomics vs. Sustainability
[...] friend Alex Steed, who blogs over at Make Something Happen wrote a good post today about the challenges nonprofits face when making business decisions [...]
June 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pmAndrew
Owning quite a few coffee shops, I have looked at using corn based cups on multiple occasions. I like the concept, but from what I have seen, it’s still not the answer. It takes a lot of heat to biodegrade the cups, so in a standard compost it would just sit there for a long time.
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/07/27/corn-plastic-may-not.html
The price is also an issue, when a lot of times your profit can be pennies from a drink sold (after paying for the employees, location, utilities, etc).
As for using reusable cups, it’s a great idea as long as people use the same cup for years.
“An analysis that concludes that you would need to use your ceramic mug 1,600 times for it to break even, in energy terms, with paper cups. This is due to the fact that kilns use incredible amounts of energy, as do dishwashers, whereas plastic cups are recycled quite efficiently in the UK.”
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/ceramic_or_pape.php
Personally, I use a ceramic mug whenever I’m in a shop, and try to use my stainless steel mug (which I’ve owned for over 10 years) when I’m traveling.
While someday I would love to use biodegradable cups in my coffee houses, Steve is correct that the extra money spent to have this product would be better used elsewhere in the company (insurance for employees, lower wattage light bulbs, etc). While these are less fashionable “green” concepts, over the long haul I believe they will provide the most benefit for the community.
June 12th, 2008 at 7:08 pm