Social and environmental policy

As part of our B Corporation Certification, we've signed a declaration of interdependence that says "... through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all."

It's important that we consider the impact on people and the planet with each decision we make as a business. It's not just about reducing harm, it's about looking for opportunities to do good.

We regularly review our inputs, consumption and outputs to ensure we maximise the benefit of our operations.

We adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals

In recognition of the need for business to be done differently, we do not work for profit alone. We select projects to deliver on one or more of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

We see this as a part of our duty to the environment and the community, and we look forward to the day that this type of commitment is a part of 'business as usual.’

Our Commitments

1. Social

• Donating our money and our time has always played a part in how we can positively impact the world. We've donated more than half-a-million dollars in cash, and thousands of hours through low-bono and pro-bono services.
• We qualify our projects against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Our main lever for change is working with our client partners, so we strive to find the most impactful opportunities we can.

2. Energy

• Today maintains sustainable energy reduction habits during daily operations. This includes ensuring that employees switch off lights and electrical equipment when not in use, keeping heating and cooling at efficient levels, using energy saving features on all appliances and utilising natural light whenever possible to minimise electricity consumption.
• We use 100% renewable and carbon neutral energy through Powershop , which Greenpeace rank as the #1 green retailer in Australia.

3. Travel

• We reduce the need to travel, restricting it to necessary trips only. In particular, we aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimising air travel. When travel by air is necessary, we purchase our flights through Reho , the only carbon neutral travel management company in the world that has achieved B Corp accreditation. Reho currently invests 10% of profits in a community bank in Mpamba, Malawi which was established with the primary vision of offering small affordable loans to languishing communities.
• As much as possible, we take public transport or walk to meetings, rather than using cabs, ubers or cars. 90% of our staff either walk, ride or catch public transport to work.
• We promote the use of travel alternatives such as e-mail or video/phone conferencing.
• We make additional efforts to accommodate the needs of those walking or using public transport. Shared office myki cards are readily available for use by Today's staff.

4. Waste

• We monitor our consumption of waste and only use licensed and appropriate organisations to dispose of waste.
• We compost our food scraps with Organic Matters Environmental Services Pty Ltd , who give five cents for every kilo of organic waste diverted from landfill to a charity of our choice.
• We recycle our soft plastic waste through REDcycle . This program was created to divert flexible plastic from landfill across Australia.
• Cartridges 4 Planet Ark collects our printing cartridges. Collections, recycling and materials recovery is all undertaken by Close the Loop under their brand promise of zero waste to landfill.
• We recycle office materials through the Terracycle program in favour of sending them to landfill.
• When equipment reaches end of life for our studio but still has plenty of life in it, we donate it to not-for-profits who will benefit from their use, including laptops and supporting equipment. Some of the organisations we turn to first are ' Code Club ' and ' St Mary’s House of Welcome '.
• For all broken devices and equipment, we recycle through ' Tech Collect ', the only not-for-profit industry backed e-waste recycling service approved under the Federal Government’s National Television and Computer. Recycling Scheme (NTCRS)

5. Water

• Today’s average water consumption levels are low. We maintain water efficiency in the studio with half-flush toilets and timers in our showers.
  

6. Office supplies

• We evaluate the environmental impact of any new products we intend to purchase. Our preference is to use local suppliers and contractors who make a positive contribution beyond 'business as usual' .
• We favour more environmentally friendly and efficient products wherever possible. We use Angelton's, who aims to supply clients with access to products in a manner that minimises adverse environmental impacts.
• Our internal office copier contract was negotiated with the 'Make A Difference' program to include a quarterly 20kg rice donation to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.
• We buy 100% recycled toilet paper and tissue paper from the social enterprise Who Gives a Crap, who donate 50% of profits to WaterAid to build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
• Our flowers are purchased through The Beautiful Bunch, a floral delivery service that provides direct support to young women from refugee backgrounds, enabling them to access vital training and employment opportunities. All of the women who work with the Beautiful Bunch participate in the training program, Many Hands . The program provides 8 weeks of practical, hands-on learning through a series of workshops run in partnership with industry experts.

7. Maintenance and cleaning

• We purchase sustainably-sourced plant and mineral based cleaning products through Ecostore, the only manufacturer in Australasia with ISO14001, Diamond Enviromark and carboNZero certifications. These certifications are a guarantee that their products are made with respect and care for the environment
• By choosing ASRC Cleaning, we are helping to create pathways to meaningful employment for those seeking asylum – to gain Australian work experience, become financially independent, and begin to rebuild their lives with dignity.
• Dryz, our laundry service, is eco-friendly. They use biodegradable cleaning equipment which has zero petrochemicals.

8. Catering

• We recognise our responsibility to provide healthy and sustainable food to our staff and clients. We ensure that internal catering for studio events and meetings is supplied by a local business that is committed to reducing their carbon footprint and waste control. We use Cultural Catering, who source local produce, provide recyclable packaging and have a cancellation policy, which mandates that unused products are donated to Second Bite. Second Bite rescue surplus fresh food from across the network, and redistribute it to local charities and non-profits around Australia.
• We purchase our beer through Stone & Wood, an Australian B-Corp who focus on minimising their footprint on the Earth through their Green Feet Program. The program strives to continually improve Stone & Wood's environmental impact and also explores innovative brewing practices to improve the brewing industry as a collective.
• We purchase our wine through Goodwillwines, who donates 50% of their profits to charity. Goodwill Wine is also a certified social enterprise employing from Australia's disadvantaged. 75% of their team were long-term unemployed or are living with a disability.
• We aim to reduce our meat intake by providing a monthly vegetarian/vegan team lunch, acknowledging the meat and dairy industries huge contribution to carbon emissions.
• Our fruit and milk are purchased through the social enterprise Fruit2Work who provide meaningful employment to those who are stigmatised and disengaged from society, giving former offenders a second chance to get their lives back on track.

9. Beyond the studio

• We support our staff working from home and have set up the company to cater to remote team members across tools and resources.
• We know that where our team works, we leave a social and environmental footprint. For this reason, we have practical guidelines in place to ensure that our team has the resources to maintain best-practise and have a positive impact from wherever we work.

Making it happen

Accountability

The Directors of Today are responsible and accountable for our B Corporation status, the impact of our project work and the commitments outlined in this policy.