It’s Earth Day, a global annual event that raises awareness about environmental issues. It’s also the perfect day for companies to tout their efforts in going a little greener. Here’s a roundup of companies getting their eco-friendly messages out today:
Apple: The biggest Earth Day newsmaker of the day is Apple, which announced it’s offering free recycling of all its used products. The company also vowed to power all of its stores, offices and data centres with renewable energy in an effort to reduce pollution. The tech giant launched a new section on its website that highlights its commitment to environmental responsibility, including using greener materials and less packaging.
Coastal Contacts: Closer to home, Vancouver-based Coastal Contacts announced its small, but not insignificant, efforts to help the planet. The company, which operates the online eyewear sites Coastal.com and ClearlyContacts.ca, launched a new collection of its Evergreen glasses, which are made with 95% recycled stainless steel and plastic. With every pair purchased, a tree is planted in a developing country. To date, Coastal has planted 30,000 trees with the sales from the Evergreen collection.
Tim Hortons: Tim Hortons is doing its part by killing the fluorescent lights. The coffee chain announced that all Tim Hortons restaurants in Canada and the U.S. will have their existing fluorescent and halogen lights replaced with energy-efficient Philips LED fixtures, which use up to 40% less energy than fluorescent bulbs. The conversion program will see 485 restaurants outfitted with LED lighting in 2014 alone, translating to an estimated 6.4 million kilowatt hours in energy savings, according to the company.
Scotiabank: Scotiabank launched its newly enhanced EcoLiving Home Energy Savings Calculator, which is designed to help Canadians save energy and money.
The calculator first launched in 2012 in partnership with the Sustainable Housing Foundation. The free online tool, available at www.scotiabank.com, allows users to enter information about their home, such as geographic location, style, size and insulation. The tool then creates a customized list of recommended upgrades and estimated costs and savings. This year’s enhancements include enabling users to see their break-even point, financing options, as well as estimated carbon emissions reduction.
Canada’s Greenest Employers: Mediacorp Canada released its list of Canada’s Greenest Employers, which recognizes employers that “lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness.” The award prompted a few winners to issue their own press releases, including Siemens, which said employees are celebrating by planting 1,500 trees across the country on Earth Day. Meanwhile, IKEA highlighted a number of its ongoing environmental initiatives, including a mattress recycling service and waste reduction and recycling program.
