On this day, Ellio formally announced its partnership with Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR), an NPO that represents the largest business network and a key CSR resource in Canada. For the occasion, we were fortunate to welcome Mr. Steven Fish, Executive Director of CBSR, and two talented speakers: Jean-François Albert, Vice-President Manufacturing at Mega Brands, and Marie-France Sosa, Sales and Business Development Manager at Plastiques GPR inc.

We presented the exclusive French version of CBSR's 19 Qualities of the Transformational Enterprise. Is this just another tool? No, rather a complementary framework guiding companies in the "What to do", "How to do it" and "With whom to interact" for sustainable business models! These 19 qualities advocate, for example, a Solutions orientation (to get away from Problem thinking) and a commitment to restoring the planet (beyond simply reducing our negative impacts). They also recommend adopting a long-term vision, enlightened leadership and inuence across the entire value chain.

What's your first thought at the mention of the plastics industry? Chances are it's not words like "resource conservation" and "social involvement" that spring to mind. And yet! Attendees at the event were pleasantly surprised by all the things our two speakers' companies are doing. Mega Brands, for example, has invested in a closed-loop water use system, replaced hydraulic machinery with more efficient electrical systems, and produced resins from natural gas instead of petroleum. Plastiques GPR, a family-owned Lanaudière SME, invests in occupational health and safety, job variety and ergonomics to improve working conditions for its employees. It is committed to integrating recycled content into its products, and has even acquired a section of rail line to avoid sourcing by road, which emits more greenhouse gases! Plastiques GPR also closes its plant one day a year for a volunteer operation mobilizing all employees for a local social cause. All these actions make them truly transformational companies, as evidenced by their alignment with these 19 qualities: http://cbsr.ca/sites/default/les/le/Entreprise_Transformationnelle_FR.pdf

A big bravo and a big thank you to these two companies for inspiring us!

To find out more, click here: http://cbsr.ca/sites/default/les/le/Entreprise_Transformationnelle_FR.pdf

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