Sir David Attenborough, beloved English broadcaster, recently told a UK parliamentary committee that “we cannot be radical enough” when it comes to saving our planet. Climate change is a threat to our existence, and we at OLS know that if we are going to preserve our world for our children’s children, we need to be radical.
In our business, we often get calls from people who tell us that they want their stuff gone and gone fast. Liquidation is often about moving quickly and cheaply, but sometimes that comes at the expense of the environment. The truth is, sustainability can be expensive and takes time. But over the years, we have realized that some things are worth focusing a little extra creativity on.
Our approach to business has evolved as the business itself has evolved. We used to be able to sell wholesale, but the market has changed; as this happened, we needed to evaluate sale channels. We needed to decide if we were simply going to throw assets away, or if we could handle them in a more environmentally and socially conscious way.
In the end, we created a Disposition Ladder, which walks us through the most beneficial ways to handle the disposition of assets. Selling a product is at the top of the Ladder, but if the product has no more life left in it, we look to donate it. If we cannot find a place to donate it, we give it away. If still we struggle to give it away, we recycle it. And if there is nothing to recycle, we put it in a landfill (although we can also do waste-to-energy if the client wants to avoid landfills and is willing to pay a hefty price tag).
This Ladder was created with the Earth and our neighbors in mind. It may not be what Sir Attenborough meant when he called for radical change, but we see it as a step in the right direction.
Below, tell me how you and your company interpret radical change!
