Top 15 Sustainable Companies
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts. A state full of history, known for its progressive views and top of the line universities. Having spent 7 years living in this state, we spent a lot of time looking for the most practical and eye opening companies making a difference in sustainability in this wonderful state. Without further a due, we are proud to present L’Autre Couleur’s Top 15 Sustainable Companies in Massachusetts.
There are many more sustainable companies that we may have missed, so if you believe you should be in the Top Sustainable Companies in MA, feel free to contact us and we will evaluate your sustainable initiative.
Top Sustainable Companies in Massachusetts
Feronia Forests
Feronia Forests is unique among timberland management organizations.
By implementing a Sustainable Full Forestry™ strategy, it creatively monetizes the numerous assets that can be derived from the forest’s ecosystems while strategically postponing the harvesting of its trees & maximizing their economic value. They are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and are a certified B Corp.
Amongst its many missions, Feronia extracts sap from maple trees for the production of maple water (Vertical Water) and maple syrup (Mission:Maple); and hosts on its properties renewable energy facilities.
Ramblewild is Feronia’s main vehicle to monetize the recreational potential of its forests: visitors meander from tree to tree at various heights through a pristine hemlock forest. The trails are designed to have a profound impact on visitors’ self-confidence and happiness. Aerial parks are a new outdoor activity in and amongst the trees that offer excitement, challenge, and personal growth for adventurists and for the entire family. Engagement with the environment is the first step for people to begin caring about and supporting it: our mission is to bring people back to the forest and to develop an understanding, appreciation and respect for nature in everyone.
As if this was not impressive enough already, through their 501c3 non profit fund, Feronia funds outreach programs that connect low income urban youth with nature and educate them about conservation & the environment, providing an antidote to Nature Deficit Disorder.
What is Nature Deficit Disorder?
Coined in 2005 by Richard Louv, Nature Deficit Disorder is a growing trend described in children who spend less and less time outside, leading to various types of problems throughout their development. Although it is not a medically proven illness, it is an important phenomenon that is bringing about increased stress and alienation from the nature around us.
Preserve
Preserve is the leading sustainable consumer goods company and producer of stylish 100% recycled household products. Preserve turns yogurt cups into toothbrushes and take-out containers into tableware. Through innovations in recycled materials and sustainable design, Preserve has been creating more resourceful ways to make everyday products for the kitchen, table, and bathroom since 1996. The company is powered by the recycling efforts of individuals and companies via its Preserve Gimme 5 program. This program accepts #5 plastics, 98% of which are not normally recycled—such as yogurt cups and other common household containers— transforming them into new Preserve products.
All recycling and manufacturing is done in the USA. All of Preserve products are BPA free and made out of 100% recycled materials. In addition to the flagship toothbrush, Preserve also makes Preserve Kitchen and Food Storage products, Preserve Tableware, Preserve Razor, and Preserve Jr. toothbrushes, which can be found on their website!
Bum Boosa® Bamboo Products
An integral part of Bum Boosa® Bamboo Products’ mission is to provide an alternative material (bamboo-derived) for disposable personal care products, specifically baby wipes and bathroom tissue, which are commonly made from tree pulp or polymer fibers from petroleum. Reducing deforestation and also lessening the environmental impact arising from discarded plastic fibers in landfills is the driving force behind Bum Boosa® Bamboo Products. The company equally aspires to make safer baby wipes and other personal care products that disclose all ingredients.
Bum Boosa® Bamboo Products wishes to work as advocates for customers and business partners and to create consumer products that have higher environmental and safety standards. Their desire to improve industry standards goes beyond their products. Bum Boosa® Bamboo Products offset 35 tons of carbon emitted annually and also plants trees representing the sale of products. In the first two years of business, Bum Boosa® Bamboo Products planted 26,600 trees in Brazil, Ghana and Burundi and has a goal of planting twice that many year over year.
LEAP Organics
LEAP Organics is an organic soap and skincare company and B-Corp that believes in harnessing the purity of the best things in nature, and then giving something back. LEAP’s philosophy is that healthy skin starts with healthy ingredients: all of LEAP’s products are USDA certified organic and/or made with organic, 100% plant-based, biodegradable, and cruelty-free. They also proudly list every ingredient on its product labels and website. The company has one of the only complete USDA certified organic skincare lines in the country, and LEAP’s organic bodycare line – which includes bar soaps, hand soaps, body washes, body powders, and lip balms – makes both your skin and Mother Nature very happy!
The Green Engineer
Photo Source: Green Engineer Website
The Green Engineer, Inc is a sustainable design consulting firm specializing in energy efficient and sustainable solutions for the built environment. Founded in 2005 by Christopher Schaffner, the firm currently has a staff of sixteen, with eleven LEED-accredited professionals. The Green Engineer sees sustainability as a core goal shared by all design team members and stakeholders.
Boston Organics
Boston Organics is an independently owned organic produce and grocery delivery service currently serving customers in the greater Boston area. Boston Organics works directly with organic farms and wholesalers to deliver boxes of fresh, certified organic produce directly to homes and offices, year-round.
Pretty awesome if you ask me!
One Earth Designs
One Earth Designs makes SolSource, a solar powered stove that can cook a meal in just 10 minutes. Originally developed to combat energy poverty among Tibetan nomads, today, SolSource is used by customers in over 60 countries. Their team is dedicated to developing award-winning products that revolutionize the way energy is used in homes. By combining advanced reflector technologies with novel solar storage systems, they aim to provide 24 hour solar cooking, heating, cooling, and refrigeration to homes around the world. Along the way, One Earth Designs is setting a new standard for global business as one of the top ranked responsible businesses on B Corp’s Best for the World List.
Next Up: Top 15 Sustainable Initiatives in Vermont
Jim’s Organic Coffee
In 1994, Jim Cannell started Jim’s Organic Coffee where he was able to keep a sharp eye on the quality of his product. Jim’s passion for organic coffee comes from the real sense that we are all part of one ecosystem; and that the decisions we all make have effects on other places and people. They are all-organic, their roasting plant runs completely on renewable energy, and their electricity that is wind generated.
PV Squared
PV Squared is a licensed and accredited solar energy design and installation company based in Greenfield, Massachusetts, serving residential, commercial, and institutional clients throughout the region. The company was established in 2002 as a worker-owned cooperative, promoting solar power for sustainable communities. PV Squared currently employs 23 people, including state-licensed electricians, construction supervisors, and other professionals certified by NABCEP, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. Employees hold leadership positions with the non-profit Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), the Valley Alliance of Worker Cooperatives (VAWC), and in several other regional clean energy industry associations.
PV Squared’s focus on solar energy, efficiency, and other forms of clean energy seeks to transform how energy is generated and used, enhancing a healthy natural environment. PV Squared’s partnering with architects and construction firms, developing solar energy systems for affordable housing, cohousing projects, assisted living centers and others will locally change and strengthen community ties. PV Squared’s organization as a cooperative with employee owners seeks to demonstrate to other businesses that workplace democracy and business responsibility will be an effective framework to enable a transition to a new, healthy economy.
10) Green City Growers
Green City Growers (GCG) transforms unused space into thriving urban farms, providing clients with immediate access to nutritious food, while revitalizing city landscapes and inspiring self-sufficiency.
This amazing B Corp has helped over 7,500 people set up and grow local produce, growing over $600,000 worth of food on less than 2 acres. They serve as a great example of a company that is making a growing difference in sustainability.
TripZero
One of our favourites!
Created to address one of the largest drivers of climate change, TripZero enables customers to travel with zero carbon footprint—at no additional cost.
Book a hotel through TripZero and the company will calculate your trip’s carbon footprint, including the impact of transportation (air, train or car) and hotel stay. Then they offset your travel footprint through the purchase of certified carbon offsets. These offsets—supplied at no cost to the traveller—fund forestry, renewable energy and methane-reduction projects that remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
Thanks to a partnership with Expedia, TripZero offers the guaranteed lowest prices on the Internet. And it’s free to set up a corporate account at TripZero, which enables companies to measure carbon savings across the enterprise and share results with employees and the community.
Food.Stories.Travel
Food.Stories.Travel. grew out of the company’s desire to combine twelve years of experience in travel and food with their passion for learning the stories of local foodmakers, and tasting and supporting their works. They organize travel in Italy, eating, learning, and connecting with local food producers who care about the environment, support the local community and believe in sustainable practices. Their journeys are led by professional Tour Leaders who help you to explore local foods, culture, traditions, and history, while sightseeing and walking (cycling is upon request) for a healthy lifestyle. When not traveling to Italy they love to promote Italian culture and cuisine in the USA with cooking classes and dinners using local ingredients and meeting the local farmers.
While many would argue that this is not very sustainable as it promotes a service that would require taking a plane, we decided to include it as it showcases a better alternative to an inherently destructive industry. If you plan to travel, might as well make sure you do it as sustainably as possible.
Cuppow
Founded in 2012, Cuppow started by developing a product that would help them decrease their own environmental footprint. The flagship product, a canning jar drinking lid, is a simple adaptor that allows people to upcycle an everyday item into a travel mug. In place of the standard route of manufacturing small products overseas, Cuppow responsibly manufactures high-quality products in the United States using recycled and tested materials. This certified B Corp offers a full collection of products that are designed as everyday alternatives to disposable and single-use alternatives.
Joule
Keeping one of the best for last, Joule is working towards a sustainable solution to an ongoing and continuously growing problem. Joule devised a direct CO2 – to – fuels platform to help combat the ever growing concern of climate change.
THE MOR-EV PROGRAM
The Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program aims to provide air pollution emission reductions for the Commonwealth by increasing the use of electric vehicles.
Funded by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and administered statewide by the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), MOR-EV provides rebates of up to $2,500 for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and plug-in hybrid light-duty vehicle.
What better way to incentivize people to move towards electric vehicles at a faster pace?
And there you have it! L’Autre Couleur’s Top Sustainable Companies in Massachusetts!
L’Autre Couleur is a socially conscious content marketing & design agency that represents companies making a difference in social good & sustainability. We offer end-to-end full service in digital marketing services, ranging from content writing & web design, to social media and campaign management. To work with us on content writing or digital marketing projects, feel free to contact us.
This was the 2st post in the Top Sustainable Companies series; one for every State in the United States. By the end of 2016 you can expect a Top Sustainable Companies article for every State in the United States! To stay updated on the up and coming initiatives, subscribe to our monthly newsletter and like us on Facebook. Also please comment if we have left out any important sustainable companies in Vermont that you believe should be part of the top sustainable companies, or if you have any thoughts/ comments on the article.
Check out some of the sustainable companies happening in your neighbouring country.
- Top Sustainable Companies in Maine
- Top Sustainable Companies in New Hampshire
- Top Sustainable Companies in Vermont
Sincerely,
L’Autre Couleur
Comment (1)
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Dear Joaquim Miro-
These are all great companies, but please check us out too. At Ash & Rose we sell only ethically source, mostly sustainable (if not they are working towards it) clothing and accessories for women. We are gold rated by Green America.
I am one of our designers, working as The Ash & Rose Collection, and I was deemed THE BEST by Green America for non toxic togs because I work with recycled findings (zippers, thread etc.) as well as fabric. In the great tradition of New England we value frugal value and quality.
I would love to have your feedback. Our website is http://www.ashandrose.com. Our live boutique location is in the center of Boston’s Sowa Market, at 460C Harrison Ave. Boston.
Best-
Nea Savoca
