How to Make a Sustainable Impact in Business

May 31, 2024

In 2021 when we officially took the idea of Lemon & Lavender off the shelf, it quickly evolved from simply a kitchen & bath store to so much more. The evolution into an eco-friendly, all-natural home store came so quickly that neither Shannon nor I can remember the exact moment it happened. But shortly after opening, Shannon “came to the table” with the idea of a Refillery. 

Though not a new concept, a Refillery is definitely a new concept to Alabama. Lemon & Lavender is currently only one of two Refilleries in the state of Alabama and the only Refillery in North Alabama. 

 In 2023 after our first full year in business, Lemon & Lavender was awarded the Best in Business Startup Business of the Year. And then in 2024 the Madison Chamber of Commerce awarded Lemon & Lavender the Retail Business of the Year award as well as Bronze Business of the Year Award. 

One of our largest core values is making decisions that positively supports the environment. Obviously this is a huge aspect of our business that goes way beyond our Refillery, where customers can purchase cleaning and bath supplies by the ounce to help eliminate the waste caused by single use plastic containers.

*We go beyond this by striving to have the least amount of plastic in the store as possible.

*In our manufacturing process, we recycle any and all containers possible, going as far as traveling quarterly to Birmingham to drop off #5 recyclables.

*We collaborate with another local retailer to repurpose our received packaging for  products.

*We collaborate with Phoenix Glass Recycling in Huntsville, Alabama, where they provide us with glass containers to offer our customers for free because we realize reusing has a smaller environmental footprint than recycling.

*We educate our customers with free workshops on sustainable living practices.

*We take all our cardboard boxes to Dixie Recycling in Huntsville, Alabama.

Being environmentally conscious is a practice we desire all small businesses to have. And with that, here are a few practices any small business can adopt to move from the convenient to the conscious:

1. Inspire customers to bring their own reusable bags (give them a small discount for having their own bag even bc bags cost you money)
2. Use Kraft brown shopping bags instead of white or plastic as they are recyclable. We stamp the recycle logo on the bottom of ours to remind them to recycle. 
3. Recycle your cardboard boxes. We use Dixie Recycling in Huntsville. You simply take your boxes and drop them off. You don’t even have to talk to anyone. 
4. Receipt printing - The average business uses around 32-33 rolls of receipt paper a year. That’s 7500 feet of paper wasted a year. Offer to text or email receipts to your customers. 
5. Eco/friendly functions: energy efficient lighting, water conservation with low flow faucets and toilets, & sustainable office supplies 

We are so appreciative of the accolades our business practices have received from the Madison Chamber of Commerce in Best in Business Awards. Shannon and I have worked hard to make our business mission-driven and to be noticed and congratulated for that has meant the world. But we strive for more and hope that our sustainable business practices will be adopted by other businesses. Sustainability goals aren’t a few businesses having perfect practices but all the businesses doing a few best practices because we know over time those businesses will adopt more and more sustainable practices. That has the most impact. Let’s work together to be the change from convenient to conscious. 

- Brandy

Also in Shifting the Mindset: Convenient to Conscious