This month, Business in the Community's Start campaign is running Be the Start — a month-long celebration and demonstration of how living sustainably is rewarding and meaningful.
Over 31 days, 40+ businesses and organisations — including Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, IBM, Eurostar, Virgin Money and B&Q —will join in with the campaign to support and inspire people in their journey towards a sustainable lifestyle.
For the whole of May, the Be the Start campaign hub will showcase the many different, simple ways people can Be the Start of a more sustainable future. From advice on how to join or start a green project in their area and tips on how to travel smarter, to advice on how to save energy and water, the campaign aims to arm the UK and beyond with practical advice on how each individual can make their unique contribution to a sustainable society.
There will be five themes explored during the month:
Every day in May, a different organisation will showcase how they are making it easier for people to live more sustainably, and outline their business contribution to a sustainable future.
"Living sustainably is not about sacrificing quality of life — it’s about changing lifestyles to create a better life for themselves and help increase the chances for others to enjoy a better life. This is what Be the Start is all about," says Dr Alan Knight, Sustainability Director for Business in the Community.
Businesses that engage with consumers around sustainability and sustainable consumption will be the market leaders of the future, gaining strong consumer loyalty and trust, boosting their reputation and creating competitive advantage. With global mega-trends including increased connectedness, increasing transparency for businesses and the decline of blind consumerism, there is space for businesses to really improve the quality of the conversation with citizens around sustainable living.
People can share details on how they are playing their part in Be the Start via Facebook and Twitter, using #BetheStart to encourage those around them to make their unique contribution, too. Their Be the Start actions will be tracked on the campaign website throughout May, with the reward of a free membership to ethical shopping site Choose Green.
There's a host of other rewards for getting friends and family involved, including the grand prize of a green weekend holiday at a Feather Down Farm, courtesy of Greentraveller.
People are also invited to sign up to a sustainable travel challenge, with a new bike up for grabs for one lucky participant.
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Published May 1, 2013 5pm EDT / 2pm PDT / 10pm BST / 11pm CEST