You might think the environment section of the B Impact Assessment would be a breeze for us to complete (we sure did). And yes — the nature of our work and our focus on smart landscaping is inherently beneficial to the environment. Parts of the assessment reward this approach. But, the environment is our only stakeholder without a voice. So, measuring our impact relies more heavily on data tracking and monitoring. As a small business, this is an area we have identified as our biggest growth opportunity. And we are actively working in that direction.
But first, our wins. We source native plants as often as possible and educate our sales team and customers so that they can make informed decisions that maximize the utility of their landscape. We boost tree planting with our 10% for the community program, and minimize our use of chemicals when possible. We consider the health of our community, wildlife, and water quality in every plan we build.
We have also made a conscious effort to improve how we do business. For example, in our offices, we’ve made simple upgrades like replacing lighting with LED fixtures and bulbs, installing occupancy sensors, and purchasing mostly energy-efficient appliances. And though some of our vehicles and 
equipment (like mowers) are still conventional and gas-powered, we have committed to choosing electric, hybrid, or energy-efficient options when it comes time for replacement.
As with every section of the B Impact Assessment, we came away inspired with ways to take our commitments a step further. We are setting goals to prioritize working with suppliers and vendors who share our values. We are taking a closer look at our logistics to reduce emissions. And, of course, formalizing our policies and tracking our use of resources and waste and chemical management. This simple step will provide insight into where we currently are so that we can set better goals for where we want to be. And, importantly, it will improve our transparency.
Transparency matters. It matters to the B Impact Assessment evaluators, of course. It matters to our customers, who are also invested in creating a better, healthier, more equitable world. It matters to our team. Transparency is also why we are documenting our B Corp Certification process and not simply writing a polished announcement when we (finally, hopefully) achieve certification. Our progress has been imperfect, and we’ve found areas for improvement we’ve never considered before. But that is the point. We hope that our journey demonstrates that to be better, to do better, you don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to start.
