Celebrating Earth Day: Sweetwater’s Commitment to Sustainability & Social Responsibility

As April brings us out of the darkness of winter, the sunlight dawns on Earth Day! Mother Nature’s enduring beauty has inspired countless songs in her honor. But how do we keep the earth thriving and humans happy at the same time? Sweetwater does it by investing in green technologies, recycling whenever possible, and utilizing sustainable building materials. Sweetwater is one of the few companies in Indiana to be LEED Platinum Certified by the Green Building Council. That’s the highest tier you can achieve! Dive with us into Sweetwater’s history and culture as we share why our campus earned this certification and continues to shine!

The Campus Goes GreenHappy Earth, Happy EarthlingsTidy Shipping On-site, Musicians’ DelightSweetwater Sound: Certified Platinum Edition

The Campus Goes Green

It all goes back to founder Chuck Surack’s childhood days as a Boy Scout. During this time, he learned the value of keeping the earth pristine. When building the current Sweetwater campus, we recycled 98% of materials from previous on-site buildings, and the new materials were rapidly renewable or recycled. How cool is that? We also ensured the campus received a myriad of environmentally conscious amenities. For instance, the building utilizes natural lighting and motion-sensor control fixtures to illuminate spaces without soaking up power. Also, plumbing and water fixtures throughout the building implement a low-flow functionality that cuts Sweetwater’s water consumption down by 54% every year. And, of course, you’ll find a recycling bin around almost every corner of our buildings.

Learn More

Happy Earth, Happy Earthlings

If you’ve ever visited the Sweetwater campus, you know how comfortable, clean, and open it is. The environmentally conscious amenities instituted here keep our earth green and Sweetwater inhabitants in better health and wellbeing. Aspects like natural sunlight, walking trails, excellent indoor air quality, and practically no sign of litter contribute to the Sweetwater experience in ways that transcend our music gear and pro audio penchants. Even 80% of workstations have access to daylight, and our smoke-free campus policy keeps the area free of smoke and unsightly cigarette butts. Just walk down our “Abbey Road” walking trail to feel the Sweetwater Difference for yourself!

Tidy Shipping On-site, Musicians’ Delight

There’s a lot of packaging waste these days. As more and more shoppers migrate to online shopping, the world requires more shipping material. That often means massive quantities of plastic and cardboard — not Mother Nature’s favorites. Instead of packing boxes to the brim with harmful materials, Sweetwater uses environmentally friendly recycled materials differently. Sweetwater’s fulfillment specialists pack your order with a minimal amount of materials, ensuring maximum safety with the least amount of waste. Our unique packing material uses air bubbles, obviating our need for lots of Styrofoam. On a similar note, Sweetwater also makes it a point to work with companies that share our commitment to the environment. The Breedlove ECO Collection is an excellent example of this!

Sweetwater Sound: Certified Platinum Edition 

Achieving a Green Building Council LEED Platinum Certification isn’t easy. But, as Sweetwater’s motto is “Do the Right Thing,” we couldn’t stand by when it came to stewardship of the environment. As one of the first in our region to be recognized by the Green Building Council, we still take operations seriously — from the micro to the macro. Inside our building, you’ll find paper straws, eco-friendly paper stock and ink, recycling bins, air-bubble packaging, and more — not to mention our internal processes are 100% paperless. In the bigger picture, Sweetwater’s newly complete solar panel system atop the Fulfillment Center reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1.5 million pounds annually. That’s equivalent to 79,000 gallons of gasoline! There’s a reason Sweetwater’s main campus building was one of the world’s first 200 LEED Platinum Certified buildings.

Get Inspired to Go Green

Since our founding, Sweetwater has been committed to maintaining environmentally friendly business practices, and we hope this inspires you as well! What will you do this Earth Day? If you have any questions about our campus or want to chat about audio gear, then call a Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700! Now, get out there and enjoy the fresh air.

How to Recycle Your Audio and Music Gear
The post Celebrating Earth Day: Sweetwater’s Commitment to Sustainability & Social Responsibility appeared first on inSync.