As a company dedicated to teaching others about the diverse languages and cultures of our world, Transparent Language has a unique perspective. We recognize and celebrate that rich global tapestry and see part of our mission as being a good global citizen. We do this by offering commercial products in less commonly taught languages, by supporting endangered languages with free software tools, and by recognizing our environmental impact on the planet and trying to manage it thoughtfully.
This year, we have come together as a company to form a Green Team, made up of a dozen employees who are taking the lead on green initiatives to help lower energy usage and decrease waste. We are also planting hundreds of trees in devastated areas in the U.S., thanks to our customers who downloaded software through our "plant a tree" promotion we sponsored on Earth Day in April 2009!
While we have many initiatives starting soon, here are the green practices we have already incorporated within our business:
- Offering an eco-friendly "download now" option for most of our language software. Over 85% of our customers choose this option, reducing the use of packaging materials and delivery transportation.
- Using recycled copy paper
- Reusing packing materials in shipments
- Recycling toner cartridges
- Using environmentally friendly paper products in the kitchen and bathrooms
- Recycling paper, plastics and cans, and donating paper to local schools for fundraisers
- Hiring contractors worldwide for their language expertise and knowledge, which supports and encourages a globally-minded corporate culture
- Helping to save endangered languages such as Ojibwe in conjunction with the nonprofit organization Grassroots Educational Multimedia, by providing our software tools and training free of charge
- Striving to be an environmentally responsible business within our community
Now that you've read about our green practices, would you like to start learning a language?
