By Sophia Schuster, MBA Class of 2019, President of Net Impact
I emailed Dan Guide to organize a talk in which he would discuss how he integrated sustainability into his career in Supply Chain Management. I was particularly struck, though, when he expressed his belief that Business Schools, which, for years, placed a heavier emphasis on financial cost minimization than on social cost minimization, had intrinsically contributed to the environmental crises that our world is facing today. Expanding upon that point, he noted that it was the responsibility of these same Business Schools to instill a higher moral code among its students so that they may more effectively lead the modern corporation.
This was especially poignant as the Net Impact MBA Chapter prepared for Net Impact Week, to highlight the importance of sustainability in the modern business world. To gain a full understanding of the events that week, it is important to know that preparation for it started back in October when the administrative offices approached Net Impact to lead a project that explored the sustainability of its daily Coffee Buzz. Ryan Roach and I weighed a variety of options ranging from maintaining the status quo to purchasing Berkey Creamery mugs for each community member. Shortly before we compiled our report, however, it came to our attention that the Penn State Sustainability Institute and Starbucks had recently developed a relationship that entailed the production and distribution of the first co-branded reusable Starbucks cups to Penn State students. Ryan approached Jeremy Bean, from the Sustainability Institute, about the cups and by the end of that meeting, it was agreed that the MBA program could serve as a pilot to introduce the cups. Only a few months later, Net Impact was able to announce its findings to the MBA community and notify them of the elimination of all disposable cups during Coffee Buzz, which entailed a financial savings of over $1,000 per academic year and an environmental savings of nearly 325 pounds of CO2.
In conjunction, to ensure that anyone who might forget their cup, we organized a Mug Drive and collected 52 donated mugs for students to place in the MBA Commons cabinets and use as needed. I have to say that I was overwhelmed by the support that the community showed, and continues to show, as Net Impact works to make sustainability a more visible part of this program. Between Net Impact week and the kick-off meeting of the Sustainability Committee, we are hopeful that these initiatives will leave a lasting impression on Penn State well after we leave. From joining forces with the newly founded Energy Club and visiting a local wind farm to organizing a trip to an REI Distribution Center in Bedford, PA, please stay tuned to see what is to come from Net Impact!
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