*This article was written during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite COVID-19 weighing heavily on our minds, our family and staff remain passionate about reducing our impact on the environment.

We've all been struggling lately. When will things start to normalize and get back to the way it was before?

But it's also been an opportunity. We've been given the gift of time, time to reflect, time to plan, time to break free of old habits that come with the day to day routine, and time to find out what is really important.

Right in the middle of all of this is Earth Day. I know, this may not your top priority but I'm suggesting, maybe earth would be a good thing to consider right now. The Earth is our home, and it too needs our help. Even in small ways, we can all do our part.

I'm fortunate to work for a company that goes to great lengths to lighten their footprint on the environment every day.

Bennett's aims for a zero waste warehouse as much as possible, recycling approximately 90% of our materials. All cardboard is recycled, and it is someone's job to pull all tape off of our shipping materials so that it can also be recycled. A lot of our plastic is reused within the company.

Our offices recycle paper, cardboard and our printer ink cartridges. Even our lunch room has a recycling program. We encourage our staff to use re-useable containers that can be washed in our dishwasher, in place of one-use bags and containers when packing their lunch.

90% of our lighting is with LED bulbs.

Both our Kingston and Peterborough stores were renovated with eco-friendly materials including flooring, concrete and insulation, and the Kingston construction process was mandated to properly dispose of all waste.

One hundred and seventy five new trees have been planted by Bennett's in Peterborough.

Bennett's is also proud to represent a lot of North American manufacturers. The less transportation, the lower the carbon footprint. Two of our main suppliers use mostly North American made fabrics, frames and foam, with 90-99% of their components from their own backyard.

For the last few weeks, I've been woken up by the sound of bird call. I'm watching green shoots push up out of the ground. It reminds me to take the time to look a little closer and think about my impact on the environment.

Just a little every day.

Happy Earth Day!

Susan

Decorator Consultant