From food and drink options to a multitude of services and products, you are bound to find something that you will love while also supporting local businesses, reducing waste, and spreading holiday cheer.

Check out SBN’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide Below!

Crust Vegan Bakery

Not that you ever need an excuse to have a sweet treat, but the holidays are a perfect time to gift one!

Crust Vegan Bakery has a multitude of vegan options for anyone with a sweet tooth. If you choose to order a cake ahead of time, you can customize it with a holiday greeting, an inside joke, or even a design of your choice! If you are looking to buy a sweet treat for someone but aren’t sure what they may like? Crust also sells gift cards customizable gift cards that can be sent virtually or via mail. Stay tuned for their upcoming move into their new space in East Falls, featuring a sit down cafe with an expanded menu and coffee.

Check out their website or follow them at @crustveganbakery for mouth-watering photos and ordering options.

Triple Bottom Brewing

Triple Bottom Brewing is Philadelphia’s fair-chance brewery, serving up delicious craft beer with a mission. As a certified B Corp, they create living-wage jobs and opportunities while brewing standout beers, making every sip a gift that supports community impact! They also offer gift cards and great merch for those looking for a lower budget gift!

For the beer aficionado in your life, consider signing them up for Triple Bottom Brewing’s Beer Club! Every three months, members receive an eclectic selection of beers hand-picked by Triple Bottom’s beer experts. Each case will contain four six-packs of beer based on what is seasonal to that month or just what Triple Bottom’s team is excited to show off! The price is $85 per quarter, 20% cheaper than buying individual cases. 

Visit them online or follow them at @triplebottombrewing to learn more about their delicious sips and opportunities.

Fishtown Seafood

Do you have a foodie in your life? Maybe someone who might enjoy a class about pairing flavors with seafood or how to handle oysters? Get them a gift card to Fishtown Seafood. 

With locations in Fishtown, Fitler Square, and Haddonfield, NJ, Fishtown Seafood makes sustainable luxury accessible. The “New School Fish Shop” offers a wide variety of freshly-sourced sea food items and classes for newcomers and culinary experts, alike! 

Find more information on their website and follow them at @fishtownseafood. 

Cake Life Bake Shop

Beyoncé trusts Cake Life with her birthday cakes. Enough said. 

Steal the show without breaking a sweat this year with Cake Life’s delicious holiday baking! Visit their Fishtown shop for Philly’s BEST holiday cookie boxes, cakes, pastries, gifts, coffee, and more!! Pre-orders, delivery, and nationwide shipping are also available. Proudly Woman-, Immigrant-, and Trans-owned!

Find more delicious items on their website or follow them at @cakelifebakeshop.

LUHV Vegan Deli

LUHV Vegan Deli is a Philadelphia favorite for plant-based comfort food, making it a standout choice for holiday gifting. Their deli specializes in hearty sandwiches, soups, and signature selections crafted to show that vegan food can be satisfying, flavorful, and nourishing. 

Whether you’re shopping for a vegan loved one or simply want to introduce someone to Philly’s thriving sustainable food scene, LUHV Vegan Deli is perfect for:

• Gift cards that let friends and family enjoy a meal in the iconic Reading Terminal Market
• Prepared foods and deli favorites that make holiday gatherings more inclusive and memorable

If you are hosting a holiday party, consider getting your celebration catered by Luhv Vegan Deli! No matter your dietary needs, Luhv got you covered! 

Visit their website for more information!

Good Karma Cafe

With locations in the Wilma Theater, Society Hill, and Fitler Square – Good Karma Cafe serves Organic coffees and delicious baked goods. Good Karma prides themselves on their sustainable practices and eco-friendly shops.

For the coffee lover in your life, consider gifting them a Good Karma gift card or a Good Karma gift basket consisting of GK wine, GK mug, and GK gift card!

Check our their website and follow them at @goodkarmaphilly.

Shane Confectionary

Indulge in sustainable sweets from America’s oldest continuously-run confectionery. Shane Chocolate Works crafts ethically sourced, bean-to-bar chocolate that honors tradition while innovating for sustainability. 

Enjoy 10% off with code SBNMemberHoliday. Peruse their entire collection of sweet treats and follow @shaneconfectionery for a taste of their commitment to responsible sourcing and local production.

Remark Glass

Remark Glass is a zero-waste certified glass shop that recycles discarded glass bottles and jars to create beautiful pieces. This holiday season, for a fun surprise– consider gifting a mystery box. The box will contain two mystery glasses for just $30! 

Shop online, order a custom keepsake, and follow @remarkglass to see how they have recycled over 420k lbs of glass and turned Philly’s trash into true treasures.

Old City Canning Co.

Old City Canning Co. is the perfect place to shop for the candle-lover in your life. The sustainable, women-owned company designs and sells straight from Philadelphia, boasting five diverse collections of scents. Each candle is handmade with a clean-burning coconut–soy wax blend that delivers a longer, more even burn and enhanced fragrance. 

This winter, consider perusing Old City’s holiday collection for seasonal scents! Use promo code Giftmas20 for 20% off your order

Visit them online or check out their Instagram at @oldcitycanningco. 

The Wardrobe

Love shopping for secondhand treasures? The Wardrobe is a nonprofit resale shop working to eliminate clothing insecurity in the greater Philadelphia area. When you shop with or donate to The Wardrobe, you help us provide clothing for free to folks in need. Featuring all types of clothing–casual, professional, and more–for all gender identities, The Wardrobe is the place to shop with sustainability in mind. 

Find out more at WardrobePA.org or follow them at @thewardrobeorg.

Natural Body Essentials

This holiday season, Natural Body Essentials is offering exclusive gift bundles that make self-care simple and sustainable.

 Featured sets include: 

🎁 Radiance Glow Gift Set – Blue Tansy and Bakuchiol Serums with a Jade Roller for glowing, youthful skin.

🕯️ Winter Radiance Set – Coffee Scrub and Whipped Body Butter for soft, hydrated skin all winter long.

Each bundle comes beautifully packaged and ready to gift! Customers can also enjoy free shipping on orders over $75 and special seasonal pricing on all holiday sets while supplies last.

Visit their website and follow @naturalbody_skincare for promos and events!

dilo

Relax the right way this holiday season with dilo. 

At dilo, products are created that blend modern design with high-quality, USA-sourced ingredients, all made locally in Philadelphia. Their collection includes candles, incense, reed diffusers, room sprays, and personal fragrances. Whether you’re looking for a signature scent to elevate your home or a beautifully packaged set for a colleague or friend, dilo’s products embody warmth and creativity. 

Check out their website and use promo code SBN15 to receive 15% off all products. Follow them on Instagram at @dilophilly and @dilo_home.

Bennett Compost

Don’t just give a gift – give a greener future! With Bennett Compost, you’re not just filling stockings, you’re filling local farms and gardens with life and keeping our planet happy.

Whether you are buying for a full-time farmer or a loved one with a few potted plants, consider giving them the gift of compost! Bennet Compost boasts high-quality, locally-made soil and compost products that are perfect for the green thumbs in your life. Now is the perfect time to nudge your neighbor to go green!

Have a look through their website or follow @bennettcompost to find the right mix.

Baby Gear Group

Do you have a new parent in your life? This holiday season, introduce them to Baby Gear Group! The innovative, sustainable company allows parents or even gift-givers to rent a wide variety of baby products. From travel strollers to developmental toys for long-term, at-home use, and more– Baby Gear Group has it, allowing parents to save cash on items their little ones will quickly outgrow.

This holiday season, Baby Gear Group has $1 for $20 Gift Cards!  Buy one for yourself or gift to a partner and all your friends! Fill out this form for a gift card today!

Valid at Philadelphia branch only.  Applicable towards membership and rental fees.  Not applicable towards deposits and buyouts.  Either Purchaser or Recipient must be a new customer name for 2025.  If you rented with us in 2024, but not yet in 2025, you count as new! Limit 1 gift card per Purchaser/Recipient combo. Promotion expires 12/31/25 or until 250 gift cards are sold, whichever comes first. 

Visit their website and follow @babygeargroup to learn how they’re making baby gear more circular.

Repleo Boutique

Transform your holiday gift giving with Repleo Boutique. With a name rooted in Latin meaning to replenish, refill and restore, Repleo (pronounced Reh-PLAY-oh) embraces the ancient philosophy shared by cultures around the world that cherishing our resources is the true source of abundance. It reminds us that the small actions we take really do matter. Whether you are refilling your hand soap, replenishing your shampoo bar, or restoring your energy, living more sustainably should feel like a beautiful ritual. 

From artisan soaps, bath bombs and shower steamers to refillable vessels, you’ll find products with clean ingredients that are kinder to you and the planet. Elegant gift sets and customizable collections offer sustainable options perfect for everyone on your list. Discover your new favorite home and body care ritual and share it with someone you care about this holiday season. 

Repleo is based in the Art Museum Area and currently mobile, offering local delivery and popping up at retailers and markets across Philadelphia. 

Visit repleoboutique.com and follow @repleoboutique on Instagram for upcoming events.

Garden Behavior

Live Trees (potted, B&B) are available for rent for temporary use this holiday season! Whether you’d like them just for an event, or to use in your home or office for a few weeks, holiday tree rental is ideal for those who love real trees and sustainability. Service includes tree selection (Varietals of Spruce, Pine, Cypress and Arborvitae), delivery, pickup and placement + care instructions. 

Fun fact: trees are later re-planted and used in landscapes or sold, instead of being disposed of.

DM them on Instagram at @rentatreephilly or @gardenbehavior, or email them at phillytreerentals@gmail.com to receive 10% off all rentals (for SBN members only). 

Thank You!

As you reach the end of our 2025 Holiday Gift Guide, SBN would like to thank our friends and members for helping to build a more sustainable community. Through the carefully crafted and impactful gift options provided, your choices and practices truly embody the triple bottom line. Happy Holidays!

The post SBN’s Holiday Gift Guide 2025 appeared first on Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia.

As we kick off Earth Month, SBN is celebrating by spotlighting some of our member’s sustainable products and services that have a positive impact on the environment. Although environmental stewardship should be recognized throughout the year, this month is a perfect reminder that we all play a role in preserving our environment. Whether you’re well-versed in sustainability or you’re looking for a new opportunity to make an impact, our Earth Day Business Guide is here to highlight the businesses in our area that can help you reach your environmental goals.

Bar Hygge

HYGGE (pronounced HOO-GAH) is a word that embodies a culture of Danish living that embraces warm atmosphere and cozy surroundings, where people can spend time surrounded by loved ones enjoying good food, drink and conversation. Bar Hygge was designed and built to offer a space where guests can experience hygge firsthand.

The restaurant and brewery located at 1720 Fairmount Ave., opened in 2016 was constructed using a sustainability model utilizing repurposed wood, barrel staves and pallets. The scratch kitchen presents a new/contemporary American menu with seasonal changes, local ingredients and a focus on neighborhood comfort food.

Brewery Techne is their in-house 10 barrel brewery. They exclusively use local barleys grown in Pennsylvania and malted in Philadelphia. Eight to ten seasonal and year-round beers can be found on draft and in cans.

Composting is an integral part of Bar Hygge’s daily routine and they are proud to use fellow SBN member, Bennett Compost.

Make a reservation today and stay up to date via their Instagram, @bar_hygge!

Crust Vegan Bakery

Crust is a queer woman owned vegan bakery that values high quality ingredients and purchases local products when possible to support other like minded small businesses. Crust strives to find the balance between offering an affordable and quality product to customers while providing a living wage and supportive work environment to their staff. They ensure there is always room to give back to our community within their costing structure, and they embrace their politics in deciding who to donate to. Crust keeps it political because food is political.

Crust was also the winner of SBN’s Inaugural Food Saver Challenge last year! They were recognized for their unique repurposing solutions that helped prevent waste from entering landfills. Learn more about Crust’s win and other food waste reduction achievements in our Food Saver Challenge Report.

Visit their storefront location at 4409 Main St, Philadelphia, PA 19127 to learn more and order. You can also check out their Instagram, @crustveganbakery, for weekly and seasonal menu updates!

Triple Bottom Brewing

Triple Bottom Brewing Company is a woman-owned craft brewery and event space located on Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia. They are the first and only brewery in Pennsylvania to have earned the B Corp Certification, and have been a fair chance employer since their founding in 2019. Triple Bottom Brewing recently launched their Future of Service Apprenticeship program, which helps people impacted by the justice system and housing insecurity to build meaningful careers in the hospitality industry and beyond.

Visit them at 915 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19127 and check out their instagram, @triplebottombrewing for more updates and fun events!

Cork & Candles

Cork & Candles is an interactive, hands-on candle making experience where guests create their own personalized candles in a welcoming space. Select your favorite scents, blend them to perfection, and create your own candles during their 90-minute experience!

Cork & Candles’ scent bar is designed to be a sensory delight, with a wide range of fragrances that cater to every preference, from exotic and fruity to earthy and floral. It’s more than just candle making; it’s about the joy of creation, learning, and exploration in a cozy environment where memories are made.

Follow @corkandcandles on Instagram and book an experience at one of their locations throughout the region!

Weavers Way Co-op

As a community-owned organization, Weavers Way has a long history of putting planet before profit, ensuring shoppers have opportunities to reduce waste, with extensive bulk shopping opportunities, incentives for shoppers to use their own containers, an innovative container refund program that recirculates reusable containers, and community work to improve our environment. Weavers Way has a long history of environmental action, and they continue to seek ways to improve. Their stewardship for this planet is written into their Ends. They also invite community engagement in sustainability efforts through the Weavers Way Environment Committee (WWEC) and their Plastic Reduction Task Force (PRTF) who work together with Weavers Way administration and staff to make the Co-op sustainable.

Weavers Way was also awarded as SBN’s 2025 Triple Bottom Champion at this year’s Annual Meeting. The Triple Bottom Champion Award recognizes a business within SBN’s network that embodies the triple-bottom-line approach of being mindful of people, the planet, and profit.

Visit one of Weavers Way’s store locations in Mt. Airy, Chestnut Hill, and Ambler. Stay updated on their news and events as well via their Instagram, @weaversway and Facebook, @WeaversWayCo-op!

Perrystead Dairy

Perrystead Dairy is an urban Philadelphia producer of American original cheeses made with pastured milk from local, sustainable family farms. In the past four years, they have won 20 domestic and international awards and the Slow Food Snail of Approval, along with major media coverage affirming their uncompromising commitment to flavor and quality, environmental stewardship, and supporting both the urban community and farmers who do right by land and animals.

Their cheeses bring together novel ideas and heritage techniques, to create distinctly American flavors that speak to our place and time. They are also one of your most local producers.

Learn more about Perrystead Dairy by following their Instagram, @perrysteaddairy.

Glitter

Cleaning up Philly, one block at a time—while creating living-wage jobs.

Glitter is a community-powered cleaning service that helps neighbors crowdfund weekly block cleanings while providing fair-wage jobs for people facing barriers to employment. Since 2021, they’ve cleaned thousands of city blocks, improving neighborhood quality of life and environmental health.

Glitter’s work directly reduces litter in storm drains, keeps public spaces cleaner, and fosters stronger, more connected communities. By investing in cleaner streets, they are not only making Philly greener—they’re creating economic opportunities for those who need them most.

SBN is excited to team up with Glitter for Earth Month to bring cleaner, healthier streets to more neighborhoods. As part of this partnership, SBN members can get a FREE first block cleaning! This offer is valid for new blocks who have reached at least their first pledge goal of $50 (to be split between as many neighbors as you want!). Sign up today and help make Philadelphia a cleaner, greener, and more welcoming place for everyone! (If you are not already an SBN member, learn more and join today!)

Start a cleaning fund for your block today and visit their social media for more updates: Instagram: @shareglitter, Facebook: @shareglitter, and Linkedin: @ShareGlitter.

Baby Gear Group

Borrow, don’t buy!

Baby Gear Group is a local baby gear library helping families gear up for their little ones while saving money, reducing clutter, and living sustainably. Replace your registry items with a sustainable alternative or rent a la carte for summer travels!

Earth Month Promotion: Use promo code SBN20 to get 20% off gift cards for the month of April. Buy for yourself or give a gift to a friend!

Shop online today or check out their Instagram, @babygeargroup for more news and updates!

ECHO Systems

Cut Costs, Waste Less, and Elevate Your Business with Reuse!

Tired of watching your hard-earned dollars disappear with every trash pickup? At ECHO Systems, they help food, beverage, event, and hospitality businesses slash waste-hauling costs, reduce single-use expenses, and boost their brand by adopting reusable solutions that work. ECHO Systems’ circular systems and warewashing strategies don’t just save you thousands each year—they make your business look good while doing good. Sustainability isn’t just about the planet; it’s about profitability, too. Let’s build a smarter, cleaner future—where waste is out, and reuse is in!

Earth Month Promotion: Get 10% off of our consulting services to help any businesses set up an end to end reuse system using code SBN10%!

Visit their Instagram or Bluesky profile to learn more and get updates!

Grow Our Food

Grow Our Food is a full-service edible landscaping company. Transform your outdoor space into a beautiful, productive landscape that provides fresh food for your family and friends! Whether you have a small urban yard or a larger suburban plot, Grow Our Food will help you understand your land’s potential and create a roadmap for developing a sustainable food garden.

Services offered include: vegetable garden setup, native gardens, pollinator gardens, rainwater harvesting systems, fruit trees & berries, garden coaching, expert consultations, and full site design & planning.

Earth Month Promotion: Get a 10% discount for all landscape projects using code SBNSPRING2025 executed before June 1, 2025. Reach out via email, growourfooddesign@gmail.com, or phone, 267-415-6076, and get on the calendar today!

Rego

Rego believes that what gets measured gets improved. The most significant and overlooked opportunity in climate is helping organizations accurately measure their waste management data that would help organizations recoup billions of dollars of waste costs and increase global waste diversion rates. Rego is building incredible tools that make it easy for any organization, anywhere in the world, to easily measure waste and take action.

First-time clients can access Rego’s Zero Waste tracking at any organization for $9 per month for their first 12 months with a 100% money-back guarantee. Whether you’re a local coffee shop or global organization wanting to learn how to achieve Zero Waste, lower your waste costs, or show off your sustainability efforts to your stakeholders, Rego’s platform can help!

Earth Month Promotion: First-time clients can unlock a 40% discount to try Rego’s waste tracking platform at any location! To claim your offer, email Josh at Josh@liverego.com.

Stay up to date with Rego through their Instagram and Linkedin!

Green Investment Strategies

Green Investment Strategies crafts portfolios that aim to help you maximize return potential for your risk tolerance level and keep as much of that return as possible by making investments that minimize risk and maximize opportunities for our shared future. Green Investment Strategies is proud to be a Climate Investing Firm.

Earth Month Promotion: The Earth needs a good financial advisor. In honor of Earth Day, Green Investment Strategies is extending its friends and family discount of 10% off for the remainder of the year to all new clients who sign up in April 2025.

Bargain Thrift Center

Reduce overproduction and waste this Earth Month by buying used — commit to buying your clothes, housewares, decor, and more secondhand by shopping at Bargain Thrift Center! By shopping secondhand, you can help keep over 30,000 lbs of items out of the landfill every month.

Follow Bargain Thrift Center on Instagram for more updates and visit their storefront at 5261 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144 to start shopping!

That’s a wrap!

Supporting local, sustainable businesses like these is a powerful way to advance environmental goals by reducing carbon footprints, minimizing waste, and promoting ethical resource management. Investing in these businesses also strengthens our local economy and communities by encouraging more companies to adopt environmentally-conscious models. By choosing to support businesses that prioritize sustainability, consumers help drive demand for greener and more ethical products and services, ultimately contributing to SBN’s mission of building a just, green, and thriving local economy.

If you’re interested in joining SBN and supporting our work this Earth Month and beyond, please consider donating or becoming a member today!

The post SBN Earth Month Business Guide 2025 appeared first on Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia.

Nearly one decade ago, the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN) partnered with the Philadelphia Department of Commerce and the Office of Sustainability to create the Beginner’s Guide to Sustainable Business, a practical resource that helps local businesses improve their social and environmental impacts. A lot has changed since the guide’s publication, and SBN is updating and expanding this invaluable tool to reflect the present-day social, economic, and environmental needs of businesses across our region. Our vision is a robust, accessible, and equity-centered resource that is built in collaboration with SBN’s key stakeholders – especially our values-driven business community. We deeply value your input and seek to engage stakeholders every step of the way, empowering our community to shape the future of sustainable business in the Greater Philadelphia Region.

SBN has already begun to make our vision for our new guide a reality. Through our preliminary work on this project, we’ve been transparent and open about our process, ensuring that every step is clear and understandable. We’ve:

• Developed and executed three successful strategies for community engagement to meet stakeholders where they are and ensure meaningful engagement. 
• Engaged 27 stakeholders, including representatives of government agencies, SBN member businesses, and community partners. 
• Produced four informational resources as part of our new guide in partnership with the following SBN stakeholders: Energy Efficiency Alliance, Untapped Communications, Unit of Impact, and Honeycomb Credit.

As we continue to develop our new guide, SBN endeavors to meaningfully engage our business community and other stakeholders to ensure the final product best reflects the topics and tools that local, independent businesses care about most. We encourage our business members, invested government leaders, and community partners to collaborate with us, engage with our content, and follow along with us on this journey. The new guide will be a game-changer for our local businesses, and we’re excited to share this journey with you. 

SBN is proud to share our most recently developed resources, which were produced in collaboration with our member businesses and community partners. These resources cover a range of topics our local business community cares about, including nontraditional commercial financing, energy efficiency for businesses, cultivating and marketing your business impact story, and measuring business impact. Check out our resources below.

In the coming months, SBN will produce more guides relevant for your business. New content will be shared regularly on our website – sbnphiladelphia.org. For entities and individuals looking to get involved in the development of our new guide, please take a moment to complete our survey to provide valuable feedback and share how you’d like to work with us on this important resource. For questions and more information about this project, contact theresa@sbnphiladelphia.org.

Please take our survey to share your feedback and get involved: https://forms.gle/DBvA4aT1iWmCSwvL9. 

The post Announcing SBN’s Updated Beginners Guide to Sustainable Business appeared first on Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia.

Close to fifty business owners, advocates, and community members from Philadelphia’s local food scene gathered at Crust Vegan Bakery’s kitchen facility in the Manayunk section of Northwest Philadelphia to congratulate Crust on winning the title of 2024 Food Saver Champion and celebrate the challenge’s conclusion.  

SBN Executive Director Devi Ramkissoon kicked off the ceremony by acknowledging that throughout the six-month challenge, the participating businesses and partners contributed to advancing Philadelphia’s goal to divert 90% or more of the City’s waste away from the landfill by 2035 and fostering a culture that bridges food equity and waste reduction. As a result, all the participating businesses composted nearly 80,000 pounds of food and donated almost 6,000 pounds of food with a retail value of over $80,000. “By participating in the challenge, we hope that these businesses gained valuable insights into their own food waste patterns, identified areas for improvement, and implemented shifts in their practices that can be sustained in the long term,” shared Ms. Ramkissoon in her opening remarks. 

After, Ting Wang, Director of Business Advocacy for the Department of Commerce at the City of Philadelphia, presented a citation on behalf of the City to Crust Vegan Bakery for winning the challenge and contributing to the City’s goals of waste reduction. “The City of Philadelphia is committed to working with small businesses from across the City to foster practices that prevent and manage waste, but also supports the businesses leading this charge,” Wang shared. “I’d like to present this Citation to Crust Vegan Bakery for their commitment to sustainability and creativity in preventing food waste.” 

Meagan Benz, owner of Crust Vegan Bakery, and her team took to the podium to receive the Citation from the City of Philadelphia, a trophy created by Remark Glass, and a $5,000 check. “I’m incredibly proud that we won this challenge and that SBN launched it,” Benz shared. “SBN has long been a champion of small, sustainable businesses – like my own – and I hope they continue to support businesses to explore food waste reduction practices.” 

At the event’s close, Ms. Ramkissoon acknowledged the eight Food Saver Challenge participants for their dedication and commitment to preventing, redistributing, and composting food waste throughout the challenge, each with a certificate. Aside from Crust, the other participating businesses included Philly Foodworks, Philadelphia Catering Company, Bar Hygge, Old City Coffee, LUHV, High Fidelity Bakery, Mariposa Food Co-op, and Reading Terminal Market. 

The Food Saver Challenge was also made possible by the support of partners, including Sharing Excess, Philly Food Rescue, Bennett Compost, Circle Compost, ClearCOGS, and Drexel Food Lab, whose commitment to reducing food waste made the challenge a resounding success. 

To learn more about SBN’s Food Saver Challenge, please visit here. 

All photography courtesy of Jesus Rincon.

The post SBN Crowns Crust Vegan Bakery Champion During Food Saver Challenge Closing Ceremony appeared first on Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia’s Department of Parks & Recreation (PPR) and Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS) joins Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), and partners the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), Fairmount Park Conservancy (FPC), PowerCorpsPHL, the School District of Philadelphia (the District), and the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN) to celebrate a $12 million grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service to go toward the Philly Tree Plan. Together, the partners gathered on Thursday, November 16 at James Rhoads School in West Philadelphia to plant trees in celebration of the grant.

President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history, distributed more than $1 billion in grant funding to nearly 400 projects across the U.S. This historic investment will increase equitable access to trees and nature, which will cool city streets, improve air quality, and promote food security, public health and safety. 

The $12 million grant is a first step toward full implementation of the Philly Tree Plan, the first comprehensive plan to equitably grow and care for Philadelphia’s urban forest. The grant will allow public and nonprofit partners to scale up existing urban forestry operations and programs, create new programs, and support community groups, businesses, and local projects to deliver immediate impact in high-priority, low-canopy areas of Philadelphia. Critically, the funding provides for the creation of a new Philly Tree Coalition, a first-of-its-kind entity that will oversee additional fundraising and programs as part of the Philly Tree Plan. The Philly Tree Coalition will be housed within the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and will coordinate the ecosystem of public, private, not-for-profit, and community group activities around urban tree planting and stewardship in Philadelphia.

Between 2008-2018, the City of Philadelphia lost six percent of its tree canopy, equal to 1,000 football fields. Centered around a 10-year implementation roadmap and 30-year tree canopy growth projections, the Philly Tree Plan is organized around the following goals:

• Coordinate support for trees
• Protect the existing and future urban forest
• Grow the urban forest equitably across the city
• Reduce the burden of trees on residents
• Invest in people and communities
• Communicate with residents and improve customer service
• Advocate for communities to benefit from the urban forest
• Celebrate and support the ways communities are engaging with trees

“Every Philadelphian deserves to live in a community with the shade, clean air and beauty that a healthy tree canopy provides,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “The Philly Tree Plan sets an ambitious vision for what we can achieve by focusing our resources on green infrastructure and planning for the long-term care and maintenance of the millions of trees that give Philadelphians shade and keep our air and water clean.” 

The Philly Tree Plan identifies seven priority geographic areas where City and nonprofit partners should increase investment in tree planting and maintenance efforts. These areas were identified using environmental justice criteria including tree canopy cover, heat exposure, air quality, income and asthma rates. Activities funded by the $12 million USDA Forest Service grant will be focused in these seven priority areas.

“Healthy, well-cared-for trees are an important part of safe, thriving communities,” said Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Orlando Rendon. “This grant represents a huge investment in our city’s urban forest, and will allow us to set up systems and programs to support residents in planting and caring for trees in the lowest-canopy neighborhoods.”

The grant will boost street tree planting as well as tree canopy in open spaces. “We are always looking for inventive ways to improve the safety of our streets for all Philadelphians. Street trees have been shown to calm traffic by creating a narrowing presence on a road,” said Mike Carroll, Deputy Managing Director for the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS). “This funding will allow for tree-friendly infrastructure along the High Injury Network (HIN), or the identified corridors with the highest rates of fatalities and serious injuries per mile.”

Increasing the tree canopy cover around schools will substantially improve the quality of life for many children. Schools and campuses across the city have an average of 17% in tree canopy cover, which is less than the citywide average of 20%. Schools in the priority-identified areas of the city that will be targeted by this investment have just 5.5% tree canopy.

“Schools are an integral part of our Philadelphia communities and serve as areas where students, parents and community members can gather and connect,” said Tony B. Watlington, Sr., Ed.D., Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. “As one of the largest landowners in Philadelphia, the School District knows that increasing the tree canopy around schools will positively impact the health and well-being of our students. Thanks to this incredible investment, we will be able to increase the tree canopy cover by planting 1,000 trees over the next five years.”

PHMC will provide oversight of the grant’s administration, and engagement of community members, civic leaders and elected officials, and will act as a fiscal intermediary between the funder and project partners.

“This project goes to the heart of PHMC’s mission of building healthy communities by improving public health and safety,” said PHMC Interim President and CEO Mike Pearson. “The livability of our city depends on a healthy and well-cared-for urban forest that protects from heat, improves mental and physical health, and is a key tool in combating climate change.”

The recommendations in the Philly Tree Plan include input from more than 9,000 residents, including a Community Voices Committee composed of 28 resident leaders, who guided the project from start to finish and held the plan accountable for the needs of their community. The plan lays out opportunities for planting more trees in priority neighborhoods and addresses perceived barriers to tree planting, like the need for effective maintenance and removal of hazardous trees.  

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) has long been a champion and leader of tree planting and stewardship throughout the city and region. Each year, PHS helps to plant over 3,000 trees through its nationally recognized PHS Tree Tenders program, which enlists a network of hundreds of volunteers to increase tree canopy across the city. With support from this grant, PHS will scale up PHS Tree Tenders in priority neighborhoods, and create a new paid tree care program. PHS will also assume a new leadership role by becoming the home of the newly formed Philly Tree Coalition, which will coordinate implementation and fundraising efforts around the Philly Tree Plan.

“PHS is thrilled to take this important step to further our shared goals under the Philly Tree Plan of equitably increasing tree canopy in priority neighborhoods in Philadelphia,” said Matt Rader, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). “A robust tree canopy is a must-have component of healthy neighborhoods, and this grant will enable us to significantly scale up activities in places experiencing the most inequitable health outcomes. We are excited to be the home of the Philly Tree Coalition, a new venture that will be responsible for bringing together a vast network of partners to bring the Philly Tree Plan to life.”  

Philadelphia’s forests and natural areas make up 60% of the city’s parkland, and 34% of its total tree canopy. These areas are vital to the livability of our city, and provide opportunities for Philadelphians to escape into nature for recreation and relaxation. The Fairmount Park Conservancy works in partnership with PPR to plant and care for thousands of trees each year in the city’s watershed parks. 

“Thanks to this transformational grant, Fairmount Park Conservancy plans to dramatically expand our natural lands restoration and maintenance efforts, enhance the tree canopy in the communities that need it the most, and provide a critically timed investment in our key watershed parks,” said Maura McCarthy, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Fairmount Park Conservancy. “This kind of sustainable approach ensures that our green spaces heal our ecology and our people, and build a resilient future for all.”

This $12 million investment in Philadelphia’s urban forest includes investment in its people. Many Philadelphia residents and businesses are ready to be a part of the workforce that will grow and support the urban forest. Expanding access to employment opportunities and providing clear pathways to full-time careers in urban forestry is one of the most important ways the Philly Tree Plan and this grant can have a lasting impact on communities. 

“From deep collaboration with the community to strengthening partnerships around a collective goal to embedding equity and economic opportunity into each step, the Philly Tree Plan is a best-in-class action plan to make a big, lasting impact in Philadelphia,” said Julia Hillengas, Executive Director of PowerCorpsPHL. “This grant enables us to grow the city’s canopy—and our talent and resources to care for it for generations to come.” 

“In addition to making improvements to Philadelphia’s tree canopy, the Philly Tree Plan will also enable local businesses to make catalytic investments in their own communities, thereby improving climate resilience and economic growth outcomes,” said Devi Ramkissoon, Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia. “SBN has a long history of supporting local businesses in the financing, education and technical support they need to thrive, address their communities’ needs, and boost equitable economic growth. Our participation in this diverse partnership will allow us to expand our proven model in a way that has an enduring impact in the city.” 

The City and its partners will continue to pursue additional funding to ensure the Philly Tree Plan is fully implemented, and to work to build a resilient and equitably distributed urban forest in Philadelphia that helps residents thrive in every neighborhood.

About Philly Tree Plan

The City of Philadelphia released the Philly Tree Plan in 2023. It is the city’s first-ever urban forest strategic plan. In support of citywide equity and sustainability goals, the plan set a 10-year strategy to grow, protect and care for Philadelphia’s tree canopy, and it established new ways of working with residents to combat climate change.

The plan also provides recommendations to the City and its partners to coordinate and strengthen their work on tree planting and maintenance, and find the role policy can play to support a more tree-friendly culture across the city.

Photos courtesy of The City of Philadelphia’s Department of Parks & Recreation

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The RGGI Working Group was convened by Governor Shapiro earlier this year to develop a state-level plan to address greenhouse gas emissions and evaluate the merits of Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI. Chaired by Jackson Morris of the NRDC and Mike Dunleavy, formerly of IBEW, the group is composed of environmental stakeholders, representatives from organized labor, energy industry leaders, and consumer advocates. While the Group did not unanimously endorse Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI, their conclusions present a step in the right direction by recognizing the immense value that cap-and-invest programs like RGGI could bring to the state. 

As the fate of RGGI in Pennsylvania remains entangled in the courts, the Commonwealth continues to miss out on millions of dollars in auction proceeds, opportunities to generate thousands of jobs, and substantial progress in carbon emissions reduction. Governor Shapiro must continue working with stakeholders and industry leaders to defend RGGI and secure Pennsylvania’s clean energy future.

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SBN is excited to announce that it is now accepting submissions for Speakers & Topics for its upcoming symposium to be held in Spring 2024. The day-long conference will convene business-owners, professionals, and other interested parties that work in the green stormwater infrastructure field and other issues relating to water management, quality, equity, and climate resilience. Attendees will learn how to more effectively implement and manage stormwater management practices (SMPs), as well as identify new approaches to green stormwater infrastructure, how water management impacts our waterways and drinking water, gain a deeper knowledge of the regulatory frameworks that support nature-based solutions and the financing and funding mechanisms that exist to advance the industry forward. Our symposium will be in March 2024, with a date and location to be announced soon. 

The symposium will include three tracks, including Green Stormwater Management: New Approaches, Operations & Maintenance; Stormwater & Climate Resilience Regulations & Policies; and Funding and Financing Opportunities for Water Infrastructure & Community Greening. In addition to these core tracks, SBN and its Steering Committee will consider proposals that present cutting edge developments and innovations in water management technologies and practices, as well as those that incorporate an integrated water systems approach to climate resilience.

SBN is actively seeking potential speakers as well as topics for our event and will accept submissions until 11:59PM EST on December 13. Please share with your networks and we look forward to receiving your topic proposals!

The post Call for Speakers & Topics Proposals for “Achieving Climate Resilience Through Water” 2024 Symposium appeared first on Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia.

In the summer of 2009, I ate some of the best meals of my entire life.

I worked in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India on an integrated farming campus that supported agribusiness and social enterprise opportunities for local communities. All of our meals came directly from the farmlands on which we worked. The food was always seasonal, nutritious, and flavorful. The community learned how to adjust their growing techniques and products to align with the ever-changing climatic patterns, building resilience practices into their lives. Without access to refrigeration, food that was not consumed each day was repurposed for future meals or fed to farm animals.

Those experiences and practices in Uttarakhand stayed with me long after I left. So much so that when I began as Executive Director of SBN in 2022, I wanted to bring those experiences to our organization and the scores of food businesses in our region.

Last year, we launched our Local Food Systems Initiative, which focuses on reducing food waste within our region, strengthening the connections between local food suppliers and food businesses, and highlighting regenerative agricultural practices. In addition to launching our Food Saver Challenge earlier this year, I’m proud to announce our Farm to Fork dining event with River Twice on Wednesday, September 20. This event carries forward many of the themes that went into creating the beautiful meals I ate while in Uttarakhand – local, seasonal, nutritious, and delicious food with a mind toward food waste reduction.

At SBN’s Farm to Fork dinner with River Twice, guests will indulge in a delectable menu prepared by River Twice chef Randy Rucker, who is known for his innovative and environmentally-conscious approach to cuisine. They will also have the chance to meet local suppliers from Wyebrook Farm and Local 130 Seafood for a discussion on how these practices tie into their businesses. All proceeds from the event will go towards our local food systems work so that we can continue to support food businesses in our region that uphold the principles of localism, waste reduction, seasonality, and all-around sustainability in their work. The cost of the charitable dinner is $300 per person ($500 for couples), which is inclusive of beverages, tax, and gratuity.

From the dinner plates provided by Felt & Fat, to the beverages provided by Human Robot, Mural City Cellars, and the Random Tea Room & Curiosity Shop, to the bespoke candles provided by Old City Canning Co., no detail has been overlooked when selecting the businesses we have chosen to showcase that evening. All these partners are deeply aligned with SBN and River Twice’s values regarding sustainability, respect for the environment, and support for local communities.

I hope you join us for an unforgettable evening filled with superb food, great conversation, and a celebration of our region’s local food producers, their artistry, and their commitment to building resilient practices in their work. Tickets are selling out quickly, so I hope to see you secure your seat today!

Devi Ramkissoon
SBN’s Executive Director

SBN & River Twice Present Farm to Fork: A Benefit Dinner for SBN
Date: Wednesday, September 20
Time: 6 – 9 pm
Location: River Twice, 1601 E. Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19148

Tickets: $300 for an individual, $500 for a couple

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Members of the City’s local food scene, press, and the overall business community gathered at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, one of the country’s largest refrigerated warehouses that also serves as home to SBN member and Food Challenge partner, Sharing Excess, along with other food distribution businesses. Other Challenge partners also came to support the launch, including ClearCOGS, Bennett Compost, Share Food Program’s Philly Food Rescue. Partners in the challenge also include Circle Compost and Drexel Food Lab. 

SBN Executive Director, Devi Ramkissoon, kicked off the challenge by speaking on the importance of bridging the gap between hunger and food waste. These are pressing issues in Philadelphia, where about 20% of the City’s waste stream is food, yet nearly 250,000 Philadelphians need access to nutritious food. SBN’s Food Saver Challenge addresses these issues head-on, encouraging businesses to adopt sustainable practices and build a culture of reducing food waste within the City and throughout the region. 

As part of this six-month challenge, businesses from corner stores to restaurants may apply to track their progress in reducing, repurposing, and donating food that would otherwise be wasted. Approximately ten businesses will be chosen to compete in the challenge and gain access to resources, support, and services to aid them in implementing effective strategies for waste reduction. Upon completion, one business will be selected to receive a cash prize of $5,000 and recognition as SBN’s “Food Saver Champion,” along with other benefits. 

After learning more about the challenge, guests were treated to a tour of the expansive warehouse of the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market (PWPM), one of the largest refrigerated facilities of its kind at around 700,000 square feet. PWPM General Manager Mark Smith led the tour until handing it off to Sharing Excess in their portion of the warehouse, which they use for sorting through donated food to distribute to those in need. Since being founded in 2018 by Evan Ehlers, Sharing Excess has recused over 25 million pounds of food.

Local businesses can now apply to the challenge until Thursday, August 31, 2023. Businesses will be chosen and notified by Friday, September 8, 2023, and selected businesses will be invited to participate in an onboarding call on Friday, September 15, 2023.

All photography courtesy of Jesus Rincon.

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Scope: The purpose of this prize is to support clean energy upgrades to local, independent businesses throughout Greater Philadelphia. Although financial and technical resources are available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and  local institutions for businesses that own their own property, the majority of businesses in our region are not property owners, making it difficult for them to be able to take advantage of these resources. For this reason, SBN is excited to offer its first-ever Clean Energy Prize for existing members to SBN who do not own their own business property. You must be a current SBN member and in good standing to participate in this cash prize opportunity.  

SBN will grant a $1,500 cash prize towards any clean energy upgrade that a business owner is interested in pursuing, with an emphasis on solar, refrigeration, vehicle electrification, and lighting. Applicants must complete an eligibility form highlighting what the funding will be used for, what percentage of the total costs SBN’s contribution will cover, and what other funding sources have been obtained that will contribute towards their goal. In addition, applicants must highlight what outcomes they anticipate from the upgrade (i.e. if the owner anticipates a cost savings from making an upgrade, they should specify what those savings will be used for). Applicants must specify a timeline for the project, ideally to be completed within a year of the funding disbursement. 

Eligibility: 

• You must be a current SBN member and in good standing with the membership to participate. 
• Must own a business, but not own the property the business occupies.  
• To qualify for solar upgrades, the business owner must demonstrate that their property owner is in agreement with the upgrades and has exhausted all other possible funding options. 

Timeline: SBN will accept applications from Jun 30, 2023 through Jul 31, 2023 and will make a determination of the winner within 14 days of the submission.  

*In order to qualify for solar upgrades, the business owner must demonstrate that their property owner is in agreement with the upgrades and has exhausted all other possible funding options. 

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