By The 1Milk2Sugars’ Green Team

We’re living at an interesting intersection in the PR world right now: on the one hand, more and more brands are awakening to their social responsibilities, especially when it comes to environmental and sustainability practices. On the other hand, with the rise of influencer culture, PR firms like us are being mandated to send out more and more mailers (particularly during COVID in the absence of live events) so as to create “unboxing” moments that are aesthetic and keep our brands top of mind.

As an agency, we’ve thought a lot about how to practice sustainability and live out the values that we and our clients believe in, without sacrificing either quantity or quality of opportunities. And so far, we’re happy to say it’s going really well.

“Getting brands on board is also a lot easier than you’d think,” says Emma Cusson, The Sugars’ Director of New Business Development, and our very own Eco-Warrior. “Brands are delighted to know that they have an opportunity to be associated with sustainability.” 

Here are some of Emma’s tips that anybody working in the industry can easily adapt and adopt:

PAUSE BEFORE YOU PRINT

Welcome to 2021, it’s a brave new world out here where docs can be signed and annotated digitally. This also goes for things like business cards which can be shared via Airdrop instead – it’s more sustainable, it’s more cost-effective, and it allows you to get straight into their devices. 

When it comes to virtual or IRL event invitations, we love Paperless Post and Splash for creating impactful digital invites that can be shared via links – making it easy to share them via text or on social media!

PLASTIC IS NOT FANTASTIC 

Pre-COVID we were on a sustained mission to reduce our use of plastic both in the office and at events with the goal of ridding it from our business completely! Once events & in-person meetings become a “thing” again, we recommend the use of compostable dishware and cutlery, glasses or reusable water bottles for clients, and paper or stainless steel straws. 

Though we may be WFH right now, our offices pre-COVID were stocked with reusable plates, dishware, glasses, and mugs. We fully expect to return to this practice once we’re back at our desks!

LEAVE NO TRACE

Another easy way to reduce waste for brands and PR Pros: use sustainable mailers when sending out packages to media and influencers. 

“People are always saying how it’s so expensive to order sustainable packaging but they’d be shocked to know just how many suppliers there are out there who offer affordable yet sustainable packaging,” says Emma. “We’ve been using No Issue – they’re visually impactful and wholly compostable.”

OFFICE HEROES 

Every little bit of initiative counts! Small modifications in your office – like having proper recycling and compost bins, using a French Press or filter coffee machine rather than pods, carpooling the team to events, and getting your team involved with fun initiatives like #meatlessmondays – can all have a big impact on reducing your office’s carbon footprint over time! 


About Emma:

Emma Cusson is the Director of New Business at 1Milk2Sugars, as well as being a longtime vegan and a sustainability champion.

 

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