COMMUNITY // ACTIVISM + CHARITY
impacted by films that brought attention to
the prevalence of plastic pollution. It inspired
another shift in Jade’s business practices. Until
now, Jade has shipped products in plastic bags
to keep the mats clean during transportation,
but now they’re looking at shipping mats
without being encased in plastic bags. While
it means that consumers might have to wipe
off a bit of dust, it also means that there is less
plastic in the world. “Small actions really do
matter,” Dean commented.
“It doesn’t take a lot to make some changes
and create solutions,” Dean said. Another film
had a powerful message with its description
of the practice: Take Three. This suggestion
encourages people to pick up three pieces
of plastic every time they go to the beach.
“Just think of the impact that would make
if one million people did this every year,”
Dean reflected. The world’s challenges are
overwhelming unless we break them down
into little steps. The power of crowdsourced
litter control is real. These conscious plastic-
reduction efforts complement Jade’s goal of
going carbon-neutral as well as helping studios
to become carbon-neutral. The cumulative
impact of each one of our small actions can
have a global effect.Color-Coded Donations
Sustainable business practices and planting
trees aren’t the only initiatives that Jade Yoga
supports. The brand is known for is their
brightly-colored mats—some of which are
limited and special-edition mats that involve a
donation to a cause. For example, Jade’s pink
mat supports breast cancer initiatives. And a
portion of the proceeds from the sale of each
saffron mat benefits organizations involved in
Autism awareness education and research.
Then, there is the teal mat, which has
become one of Jade’s top sellers. Dean was
asked by his friend Dara Barr, who had ovar-When it comes to planting those trees, Jade Yoga has partnered with the nonprofit
global organization Trees for the Future since 2006. To date, close to 1.5 million trees
have been planted in the partnership.