On June 3, NH Businesses for Social Responsibility honored the sustainability efforts of four companies and one nonprofit in New Hampshire, whose leadership and dedication to our communities serve as an inspiration to us all. The Cornerstone and Partnership for Innovation Awards were presented as part of the NHBSR Annual Spring Conference.

This year, the conference was launched as a week of virtual programming, where participants were invited to connect digitally to the various breakout sessions, presentations, panels and workshops that were offered throughout the week.

During the Awards Celebration and Networking Reception, NHBSR recognized the following companies for their exemplary contributions to promoting sustainability/social responsibility in NH, a few examples of their robust efforts are highlighted here:

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Casella Waste

Systems and Goodwill of Northern New

England

2020 Partnership

for Innovation Award Winners

Casella and Goodwill are collaborating on work that prioritizes both the sustainability of the earth and its people. Goodwill’s Job Connection program helps to breakdown barriers to employment and, through partnering with companies like Casella, helps people with complicated lives find stable jobs. Casella’s jobs, in turn,provide the greater community with expertise in and access to better resource management,including best practices in recycling and reusing material goods. Casella’s partnership with Goodwill has helped the nonprofit reuse and recycle more than 60 million pounds of goods every year.

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Stonyfield

2020 Cornerstone Award Winner

Stonyfield is the leading organic yogurt maker in the world and an early adapter of sustainability innovation and leadership. The manufacturer began recycling and measuring water and energy use in the early 1990s and is among one of the first companies to commit to a 30% reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emission by 2030, validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative. In addition to advocating on policy issues at the state and federal level on agriculture, organic standards, clean energy and climate, Stonyfield supports local communities through donations, volunteering and educational resources.

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Monadnock Paper Mills

2020 Cornerstone Hall of Fame Inductee

Monadnock Paper Mills is the oldest continuously operating paper mill in the US. Manufacturing products that are carbon neutral, the 200 year old paper mill has a Green Team that, supported by executive management, leads impact reduction projects around energy, water, waste and products throughout the company. Monadnock’s onsite water treatment facility release affluent that is cleaner than the Contoocook River it flows into and offers just one example of the company’s unwavering sustainability commitments. The paper mill invests extensive efforts in educating its stakeholders, the public and students about sustainability best practices and helps other companies develop and articulate their own sustainability journeys.

Hypertherm

2020 Cornerstone Hall of Fame Inductee

Hypertherm’s commitment to its people, the planet and our communities is evident throughout the company’s operations and programs. It is the First Recovery Friendly Workplace in NH and provides an onsite wellness clinic with access to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center professionals. The 100% employee owned company encourages employees to give back to our communities from day 1. The company incorporates volunteering into its orientation and offers 32 hours of paid volunteer time annually for all associates. In its manufacturing operations, all of Hypertherm’s products are designed with a sustainability scorecard and all product families have received Life Cycle Assessments and Recyclability Assessments.

The steadfast leadership of these businesses in offering communities hope and inspiration during difficult times is characteristic of the NHBSR network itself. NHBSR welcomes engagement and involvement, knowing that we are all in this and stronger together. Registration is still open for the NHBSR virtual conference. You can visitnhbsr.org/conference for more information on how to engage and for recordings of conference session as they are made available. Become part of the conversation and help ensure that our legacies of leadership in New Hampshire endure.

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