Several times recently, I’ve seen plaques, signs, mouse pads, etc. quoting Mahatma Gandhi as saying: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It’s probably a condensing of a longer sentiment by Gandhi, but the simplified message still says a mouthful. It also begs the question each of us should ask of ourselves: “Am I being the change I want to see?” At University Loft, we make cool dorm room furnishings and other campus residence life furniture. More importantly, however, we take pride in being the change – through environmental responsibility – that helps make the world a better place. Here’s what I mean:
At University Loft, we use eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable practices. We grow Environmentally Farmed Timber that can be harvested and replanted in far less time than it takes to grow and harvest Oak. That means that even though our solid wood student dorm room furniture is even stronger than Oak, we can use a lot less land for the timber farming.
We also do other environmentally-friendly things every day. For instance, to reduce waste, we recycle in our furniture manufacturing facilities. We also print our catalogs and other print publications on demand. And we plant trees at Arbor Day and at other times throughout the year. (In fact, we promote the importance of Arbor Day in schools so young people can develop the habit of environmental responsibility early on.)
Small changes? Perhaps. But if other college and university furniture manufacturers took the environmentally responsible measures that we do at University Loft, imagine how much better the world would be. Want to learn more about ULoft’s environmental programs? Read our Green Plan.
What about you? What steps have you taken to be the change you want to see in the world?
Bob
The ULoft Blog Team
About University Loft Company and our solid wood modular residence life furniture:
Since 1984, when James Jannetides built a loft configuration for his own dorm room at Southern Illinois University, hundreds of thousands of college students have enjoyed better campus living thanks to University Loft furniture. Today, University Loft serves more than 1,200 colleges, universities and related student housing partners. As Jannetides’ says: “We are always learning, always innovating, and always improving … our environment, our products, and our service. We are University Loft Company.”