CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR, CA – According to a specialist in sustainable solutions in the cleaning industry, the past decade is when sustainability came of age. Steve Ashkin, President of The Ashkin Group, noted, "There has been what I call a 'sustainability shift.' More companies now realize that sustainability, cost savings, risk aversion and business growth all go hand-in-hand."
Ashkin believes that revisiting what was accomplished over the past 10 years will provide insight into where sustainability will be going in the next 10 years. He pointed out a number of changes related to sustainability that have occurred during that time. Among them, Ashkin notes that years ago only about 20% of S&P 500 companies published sustainability reports. Now, that number is closer to 90%. Additionally, the 2019 Business Roundtable released a new "Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation," asserting that U.S. companies should transition from focusing primarily on profits to "supporting communities and protecting the environment by embracing sustainable practices."