By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: June 14, 2019
Cinci Csere and Chris Arkell wanted to be the change they wanted to see in the world. And now they have the certificate to prove they are.
Their company has joined the ranks of Patagonia and Ben and Jerry’s and over 2,000 companies around the world for whom businesses isn’t just about making money. It is about creating a positive change as well.
The owners of Sea to Sky Removal are now proud to be a Certified B Corporation, a designation for businesses for whom the bottom line is much more than just profit.
In receiving this certificate, the Sea to Sky Removal joins a global movement of people using business as a force of good.
Designated by a non-profit, the Certified B Company meets “the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.”
Sea to Sky Removal was started by Cinci Csere and Chris Arkell in 2017 with the realisation that a greener approach to construction waste removal was needed.
As someone who worked in construction, Chris was exposed to a large amount of material that was mis-characterized as ‘garbage’. This was all material that could be reused as clean wood, building material, recyclables such as metal, cardboard, plastics, carpet and drywall and single use items and general garbage.
“Going to different landfills and transfer stations across Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky Corridor really opened our eyes to the needless amount of waste that is thrown away,” says Cinci.
What they saw was heartbreaking. There was a lot of material coming from construction sites that could have been reused or recycled.
“We didn’t want this to be our legacy for the next generations to come,” she says.
Driven by a desire to make positive change, they have since managed to keep 1,963,790 pounds of material from the landfill, the equivalent of 178 of the company’s trucks.
Cinci says piles of construction waste, including garbage bags, are ‘meticulously’ hand sorted so that material can be recycled and reused and finally diverted from the landfill.
“We have rolled up our sleeves, gotten our hands dirty sorting the waste, one pound at a time,” she says.
Businesses who seek the designation have to achieve a minimum verified score on a rigorous assessment of the company’s impact on its workers, customers, community and environment.
There are more than 2,700 Certified B Corporations in over 130 industries and 60 countries with the goal of redefining success in business.
Patricia Marini says
Hallelujah! Good for them and Thanks!