OUR SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT

Relish is a company of thinkers, builders, educators and entrepreneurs. We believe that using business as a force for good is good for business. So, we strive to empower people and organizations to create positive change through design, technology and innovation. 

Where we can, we help businesses become responsive to customers, who increasingly desire more meaning from their relationships with brands and products. In this way, we can produce positive social impact.  

No one and no business acts alone. The more we continue to work with smart people and organizations, the more impact we can have on our communities and on the world.

We strive to improve by assessing our practices and policies annually as they relate to our environment, our workers, our customers, our community and governance. 

Workers

We honour the diversity of our staff and promote their ideas, work, and aspirations by providing a flexible workday and optimal work/life balance. We also provide an environment where each employee’s skills and talents are put to use to lead and to offer solutions as we work to achieve our overarching goals. 

Everyone at Relish has the opportunity to take part in assessing our practices and policies, and to contribute to goal setting and optimization.

Living Wage & Benefits
We are committed to annually assessing our salaries and wages and ensure they meet average or better than pay standards for our region. In addition, we provide staff with a health, disability and mental wellness program. We encourage active living through wellness incentives.

Personal Development
We improve and grow as individuals and as a company by providing our staff with opportunities for continuing education and training through subsidies.

We also provide ongoing, free access to arts, culture, sporting activities and events in our local community.

Environment

Whenever possible, we source from local suppliers that hold similar values and adhere to a high-degree of environmental awareness and accountability. 

We have an ongoing commitment to environmental causes. In 2023, we introduced the Relish Climate Action Service Grant—a yearly national grant of $10,000 in pro-bono services dedicated to bolstering climate action initiatives.

Paper & Office Supplies
We have lowered our eco footprint by auditing our office supplies and sourcing only eco-friendly supplies from Raw Office, ensuring we use the most eco-forward products available from select manufacturers who provide a verifiable commitment to reducing environmental impact and increasing social impact. 

We source all chlorine-free paper products from companies that provide Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. This ensures that our designs are printed on paper derived from sustainable forests and healthy communities. We also source soy-based inks for printing.

Commute
Our office is centrally located and accessible to public transit. We work to reduce our carbon footprint by encouraging the use of transit, bike and foot travel to work through subsidized EcoPasses for our staff. We use a bike courier exclusively year-round. We also encourage and support virtual meetings whenever possible.

Waste & Recycling
We divert as much waste as possible from landfills through our office’s recycling and composting program. Everything is considered – from computers to ink cartridges, batteries and other items.

Space
Our office is located in a former warehouse space. We choose recycled finishes and have used recycled materials wherever possible to define our space. We clean with environmentally friendly products and continue to find new ways to reduce our energy use.

Community

We are dedicated to improving the quality of life in our local community. We encourage community connections through paid staff volunteerism and mentorship programs. We also support community agriculture and other local initiatives.

As well as sponsoring a number of community events, not-for-profit and charitable activities annually, Relish issues an annual Service Grant of $20,000 with the goal to help one or more organizations communicate, promote and elevate their organizations. The Relish Community Service Grant is intended for Alberta and Manitoba-based organizations who are committed to making a positive impact in our community.

Overall we commit a minimum of 1% of annual net profits to local initiatives. Through these initiatives and others, our overall commitment to our local community is to donate the equivalent of a minimum of 5% or more of our time through pro-bono services to charitable and non-profit organizations.

Governance

We answer to our stakeholders, not only our shareholders. We believe our local communities, global neighbours and future generations all have a right to know what we’re up to and how we’re going to use our company to make this world a better place.