Why can’t I just become sustainable without the help of Strategic? You can. You may be able to find some bright young star just out of school to create your program. But you must consider the time and effort that it will take to learn how, do the needed research, develop a program, train your employees and how that will delay your return. The cost of paying someone to create your program can be better used to hire a consultant that specializes in turning companies green.

What is the cost of becoming a sustainable company? There is a cost in both time and money but a good program will generate a return and the best part about a sustainability program is it will give you a continuous return. The actual cost is dependent on many factors: the size of your company, the number of employees and where you currently are in your environmental efforts. Every company is different and every company is unique in what may be required to implement a program. But one thing is certain; a good sustainability program will not have a cost in the end. Every dollar and every hour of effort put into the program will generate a return. To borrow a statement from Total Quality Management, Sustainability doesn’t cost, it PAYS.

What makes the Strategic consultants different from others? Our consultants go through a certification process that is conducted directly by Rich Barbaria, the creator of the Strategic program and the president of our company. The process starts with interviews with Rich and he is the only person who can qualify a candidate for training. Once qualified, the candidate is trained by Rich personally. Only after this extensive training and testing will Rich certify the person to be a Strategic trainer/consultant. Rich’s involvement does not stop there. Our consultants must report the activity and progress as they work with our clients. Rich personally reviews these reports to make sure every client is getting the best possible result from the program.

How do I know the Strategic consultant is an “expert” in my industry? Although there are many commonalities between industries, we truly understand that each industry and for that matter, each company is different. Our consultants are trained to understand and use the proper approaches, specific to your needs. Not only that, you will not be working only with the assigned consultant, you will have the entire Strategic organization involved in all of your needs. Our staff of researchers work continuously with our consultants to find the proper solutions, customized for your company.

Why is Health and Safety a part of the Strategic program? Working safely will prevent accidents that will have a negative impact both on the environment and human health. Anything that is negative to the environment will also have a negative impact on humans. Health & Safety is one more way that makes the Strategic system different from others. Our program addresses Health & Safety as an essential part of making a company sustainable. We review your facility along with members of your team, to see where you stand in your OHSA requirements and safety issues specific to your industry and facility. We train your employees in the proper handling of chemicals and how to work safely in their everyday activities. It’s all included as part of our program.

What is the difference between green and sustainable? Although both green and sustainable are many times interchangeable, to become sustainable is a more comprehensive approach to environmental improvement. In a broad sense, it is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which in turn depends on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources. A company can say they are green by taking actions that make their product or process friendlier to the environment. But for a company to claim they are sustainable they must consider all aspects of what they do, where they do it, what they use to do it and how it will have an effect on the environment and the future of the world. In the book The Triple Bottom Line, author Andrew Savits explains that sustainabilty must include not only environmental issues but should consider three things; it should be good for the company, good for the environment and good for the people.

What is “Greenwashing”? Greenwashing is the use of intentional or even un-intentional misleading information by a company to market their product or service. There are different forms of Greenwashing but most will fall into three categories. The most common are: labeling– like putting a nature scene on a label of a toxic product. This will certainly lead consumers to think the product is safe and good for the environment when in fact it is not; being vague – using words like earth-friendly, natural or greener without explaining what makes it so; and one that is least discoverable, made from sustainable material – there could be components of the product or even the whole product made from say, bamboo. Bamboo is a sustainable resource, however, if a forest of old growth trees was cut down to plant and harvest the bamboo it is far from a green product.

What is a stakeholder? The word stakeholder is used to describe any person, community or organization that is or can be affected by an industries process as it applies to the environment and human rights. This would include employees, their families, customers, vendors and the community your facility is in.

Who are the regulators? Regulators are government created departments or entities that are responsible for creating regulations and laws and are most times responsible for investigating and enforcing these regulations or laws. They could be specific to a town, village or community or could be from a State or Federal government.

What is a NGO? NGO is an abbreviation for “Non-Government Organization”. In the world of green there are many NGO’s. These organizations such as “Greenpeace” and “The Nature Conservatory” exist to influence governments and industries to become friendlier to the environment. There are many more than just the two listed and each has conviction in their mission and believes. These organizations, especially ones that may be local to your community, should not be looked at as enemies but embraced as partners in your efforts to become sustainable.

What is an EMS? EMS stand for “Environmental Management System”. It is sometimes call a Sustainable Management System or SMS. A good EMS or SMS must be the foundation of any good sustainability effort.

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