local businesses:
Are you ready to take meaningful steps toward protecting our community, wildlife, and watershed?
Let’s work together to make a difference.
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Why sign the pledge?
Retail, food service, and other local businesses all contribute to the accumulation of plastic pollution that ends up in our communities, on our streets, and in our waterways.
Let’s show our local and state leaders that phasing out single-use plastics is not a barrier to economic growth. By taking this step and working to be plastic free, we can show our local and state leaders that the challenge to protect ourselves and our environment from microplastic pollution is one worth fighting.
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Make a difference.
When you sign the Plastic Free Pledge, you’ll join forces with fellow leaders in the local business community and set a crucial example for other local businesses.
Supported by the MountainTrue Recycling Team and Hendersonville’s Environmental Sustainability Board, you’ll be equipped to take meaningful steps toward implementing sustainable business practices that prioritize the health of your community, local wildlife, and watershed.
Why it’s important:
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“The City of Hendersonville believes environmental sustainability is critical to preserving the community for generations. The Working To Be Plastic Free program aligns with our City Council’s focus on responsibly protecting resources and the beautiful area we call home. When our City’s Environmental Sustainability Board presented this program at our Council meeting, we were eager to take part and further our organization’s sustainability efforts. As Mayor, I encourage local businesses to take this pledge to improve our environment and community in an impactful way.”
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“In retail, waste is inevitable. We all need to do our part to limit the amount of single-use plastics we produce for the sake of our planet!”
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“Since Dogwood opened in 2017, we have made it part of our mission to offer our shoppers plastic-free alternatives that are also fun and beautiful! From our Swedish dish cloths, wax food wraps and reusable snack bags to our 100% recyclable and reusable gift bags; we believe we are helping to eliminate plastic by providing wonderful alternatives.”
— Dogwood
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“We pledged to Be Plastic Free in our studios. We want the treasured photographs we create — not the packaging they are delivered in — to last generations. We want the newborns, children, and teens we are photographing to grow up in a world where they can enjoy the wildlife and experience the natural wonders we grew up with.
We grew up before plastic bags were commonplace. We never heard the question, ‘paper or plastic?’ But before we were teenagers, plastic bags were everywhere. We're pretty sure that the first plastic bags we used as teenagers back in the '80s are probably still out there, negatively impacting the environment in some way.
We want to see a new generation embrace the joy we had as children, upcycling paper grocery bags into art projects, Halloween costumes, and schoolbook covers. We want to be part of the generation that embraces reusing cloth bags and other plastic alternatives that are smarter, better, and safer for our health, our planet, and our futures.”
— Hendersonville Headshots by Juls Buckman and Juls Buckman Photography
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“Highland Lake Inn & Resort and Season's at Highland Lake have always been devoted to protecting and preserving our environment. Working toward eliminating plastics is just another opportunity that we have been working toward over the years. We are also passionate about sustainability and organic gardening and are an Energy Star Partner.
We are proud of the accomplishments we have already achieved such as:
Keeping Flat Rock beautiful, all of our facilities are strictly non-smoking. We use ‘Save Our Planet’ signage in all of our rooms to encourage guests to use their towels multiple times before housekeeping picks them up to clean. We utilize bulk amenities dispensers for soaps and shampoos that eliminate the need and waste from small plastic bottles. Low flow showerheads and adjustable toilet valves are used in the rooms to cut down on wasted water. Biodegradable products are used for room cleaning and no phosphates are used in our laundry. Motion sensor technology is being used throughout the property to lessen energy waste in unused rooms and at vending machines, as well as the use of LED bulbs whenever possible. We have eliminated the use of plastic bags in our in-room trash cans.
For our award-winning restaurant, Season’s at Highland Lake, we make certain we use the most natural and organic processes and suppliers possible. Our 2-acre organic garden provides the freshest in-season ingredients possible for use in our restaurant, combined with utilizing the richest produce this area has to offer from our local suppliers. We use compostable take-out containers and straws. All of Highland Lake Inn & Resort uses composting as well as a drip irrigation system from our 40-acre lake to water the organic garden. In addition to this, Season’s at Highland Lake participates in the sustainable seafood program to ensure that the seafood we purchase was not harvested in environmentally damaging ways.
We will continue to find more efficient and environmentally sensitive ways to use our energy resources and to offer our guests an environmentally friendly place to stay for years to come. We look forward to working together with MountainTrue to find new and innovative ways to accomplish this.”
