"Confessions of a Former Litterbug” – My Journey to Environmental Partner

"Confessions of a Former Litterbug” – My Journey to Environmental Partner

Once upon a time, I was that guy, the one who littered more than anyone I knew. It was just one of the bad choices I made in my youth.

Ironically, I now run an environmental consulting firm.

But this isn’t about me. It’s about you and the choices we all make every day. Maybe you’ve been managing just fine, choosing to put out fires when they flare up and relying on short-term fixes. It works...

Until it doesn’t.

At some point, overlooked compliance problems will catch up. It’s easy to think, “I’ll deal with it later” or “It won’t happen to me.” But when that moment hits – an unexpected penalty, a regulator at your door, a compliance gap – it’s a wake-up call.

Suddenly, your short-term solution doesn’t seem so reliable anymore.

Just yesterday, we had a GM of a New Jersey-based fragrance company reach out about their missed U.S. EPA TRI report. They intended to handle it in-house, but July 1st came and went. Now, for those in the know, you can’t just file late without a violation. The penalty is automatic.

Sure, there are ways to manage it – Self-Disclosure, the EPA Audit Policy – but let’s be honest: slapping a Band-Aid on the issue won’t solve the real problem. It might get them through today, but what about tomorrow? Next year? They’ll be right back in the same spot.

Could your consultant jump in with a quick fix? Certainly.

But as a consultant, that’s not what we’re about anymore. We’re committed to long-term solutions and a sustainable EHS culture. So, when the GM asks, “Does this mean that you no longer offer standalone project service and that we need to sign up for a Long Term subscription?” The answer is simply: Yes.

Our subscription is an Environmental Partnership. It resolves the TRI reporting issue, addresses the root cause, and manages all other EHS programs at the site.

The quick fix is not sustainable. Go find another consultant for the Band-Aid.

Sincerely yours,

Brian speaking my mind.