Propel Solutions, headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is Western Canada’s leading operational improvement firm that provides strategic consulting services to businesses in the areas of organizational assessment, business transformation, organizational design, corporate sustainability and improvement training, with specific expertise and focus around performance and profitability. Their clients are in a variety of industries, including professional services, distribution and warehousing, retail and consumer goods, manufacturing, natural resources, and public sector/not-for-profit.
Green Business Journey
Propel Solutions joined Green Business Bureau, in part, because of the process improvement work they do with their clients, which already included promoting sustainability and working with them on ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Initiatives they’ve successfully implemented include moving clients to paperless processes and optimizing transportation routes for more efficiency, reduced gasoline and idle times.
As Propel evaluated green certification solutions, they found the GBB platform to be powerful, yet easy to use, and it helped the company to identify, prioritize, and roadmap the greening initiatives for them to focus on in the future based on several key factors, such as overall impact and value to the company. Additionally, Green Business Bureau was a strong cultural fit for Propel Solutions due to the alignment with Propel’s corporate values of:
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- Embrace Growth
- Keep it Simple
- Make a Lasting Impact
- Do It in Partnership
- Be Accountable
Propel plans to promote their GBB Certification and partnership on their website and be active social media advocates and thought leaders in the area of sustainable business practices to their clients and business partners.
Leading By Example By Becoming More Sustainable
Some of the other areas that Propel was able to realize benefits and cost savings were around:
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- Arranging their workspace to take advantage of natural sunlight
- Establishing a paper recycling program
- Establishing a glass/plastic/aluminum recycling program
- All employees use public transportation, carpools, or walk/bike to work
- Purchasing office paper products made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials
- Purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified electronic equipment
- Establishing paperless billing program for clients
- Establishing office composting program
- Purchasing copy paper form 30-100% post-consumer recycled materials
- Recycling of old laptops and office equipment
- Switching to non-toxic office cleaning supplies
Future Strategy and Sustainability Plans
By the end of 2019, Propel plans to reach GBB Platinum Certification by:
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- Creating a Company Volunteer Day for a local community sustainability project
- Donating a portion of profits to an environmental cause
- Completing a solid waste assessment to identify where improvements can be made
- Purchasing offsets for travel emissions that can’t be reduced
- Using floormat/dirt collection systems at doorways facing out
- Using electronic proofs and recycled, non-toxic supplies to create promotional material
For more information, please visit Propel Solutions at www.propels.ca
