Harmonic Arts is proud to be the 2025 Ecostar Award Winner for Sustainable Workplace. This award honours an organization with impressive environmental practices and social policies in place to create a work culture centered around sustainability and well-being.
Since 2015, the Ecostar Awards have recognized outstanding environmental achievements and leadership on Vancouver Island. The awards are presented to businesses, non-profits, academic institutions, governments, and individuals who have demonstrated exceptional environmental and social initiatives. Click here to learn more.
At Harmonic Arts, we believe that sustainable action starts in-house, and we have cultivated a working environment that supports the wellness of both our team members and the planet.
Embodying Sustainability Within Our Operations
We are committed to continuously improving our operations and prioritizing both sustainable and regenerative action. We've been certified Green for the last four years in a row through BC Green Business, we have been Climate Smart Certified since October 2022, and we’ve been a Certified B Corp since June 2023.
With the intention of reducing our environmental footprint, we recently reviewed our product and operational packaging. This led to these accomplishments.
- Our Operations team replaced a single-use pallet wrap in our manufacturing facility with a reusable alternative for 99% of our operations.
- We updated our Herbal Latte packaging to reduce the amount of material used. This decision was more cost-efficient and less carbon-intensive, lowering the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per shipment.
- We modified our product offering and have diverted 72,238 lbs of single-use packaging waste as a result.
- We use carbon-neutral, forest-free Sugar Sheet copy paper in our facility.
- We prioritize digital marketing initiatives and provide paperless invoicing for all online orders.
Just outside of our immediate operations, we've proudly built ethical and sustainable supply chain partnerships. When vetting suppliers, we screen for third-party impact certifications (such as Certified Organic or Fair-Trade ingredients), locally and independently owned businesses, and BIPOC-owned businesses.
Our supplier code of conduct requires compliance with best practices for fair labour (including fair compensation and safe working conditions), applicable environmental laws, respect for animal welfare, and traceability, responsibility, and transparency of product contents. We believe that this is integral to creating a positive ripple effect of sustainable practices.
Supporting the Sustainability of Our Staff
To prevent burnout within our team, we provide programs and resources that support their well-being, including:
-
A flexible benefits plan that supports health spending and lifestyle spending.
- An Employee & Family Assistance Program.
- Daily exercises for manufacturing staff.
- Quarterly product giveaways for staff.
- A quarterly employee-nominated charitable giving program.
- A minimum of 3 weeks paid vacation + paid time off over the Christmas holidays.
- 8 paid hours annually to volunteer with causes that align with our company values.
Supporting Our Community
We regularly contribute in-kind, volunteer, and monetary charitable donations that offer substantial support to values-aligned social and environmental initiatives. We also sponsor events and organizations like Cumberland Fungus Fest, Vancouver Island Herb Gathering, LUSH Valley Food Action Society, and Second Harvest, to name a few.
In the 2024 fiscal year, Harmonic Arts contributed an impressive $12,627.96 to social and environmental causes, bringing our total impact-driven donations to over $91,500 to date. A highlight was our Green Friday campaign, where we donated 1% of sales to the Trans Canada Trail, supporting connections between people and nature. As part of our quarterly employee-nominated charitable giving program, our team collaboratively selected four organizations focused on aiding vulnerable populations in our community.
Caring For Our Planet
Environmental stewardship drives our operations. We track our carbon emissions and continuously work to reduce our footprint, from optimizing shipping to offering carbon-neutral options for customers. In the 2024 fiscal year, we reduced our carbon footprint by 6% compared to 2023.
To ensure that we are offering products that are non-toxic to our customers and the environment, we rely on third-party testing and certificates of analysis. In the 2024 fiscal year, 79% of the products we sold met organic certification standards. This means that these ingredients have been tested against a rigorous standard that ensures they are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, fossil-fuel based fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
To ethically sustain our production level, Harmonic Arts works with various vendors from herb brokerages to small farmers worldwide. This allows us to prioritize organic herbs whenever possible, and to consistently make effective formulas that contain high-quality herbs, mushrooms, and superfoods that support the health of our customers and our planet.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We're embodying equity and inclusion in the workplace with a comprehensive action plan that includes policy updates, increasing diversity in hiring, ensuring equity in product development, and deepening our community engagement. These efforts are more than just initiatives—they reflect our commitment to building a company that truly embodies the principles of equity and inclusion, making a positive impact both within our organization and in the broader community.
Our success as a business is built on a foundation of reciprocity with our diverse team. We encourage everyone to bring their unique perspectives and purpose to their roles, while Harmonic Arts provides compassionate leadership and a supportive environment. To measure the impact of this commitment, we use employee surveys, such as our recently conducted diversity survey which found that:
- 63% of our team self-identified as female or non-binary.
- 28% self-identified as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Colour.
- 19% self-identified as having a disability.
Led by our values, every member of the Harmonic Arts team has contributed to this win. We will continue to learn, grow, and improve our operations for the well-being of our team, our community, and our planet.
