What Happens When Small Businesses Show Up for Earth Day
There’s a version of Earth Day we’re all used to seeing.
Big campaigns. Big numbers. Big promises.
And while those efforts matter, they can sometimes make environmental action feel like something that happens elsewhere, at a scale that doesn’t quite translate to our day-to-day as small business owners and change makers. As the Owner of Strand + Strategy Communications, I love what I do. One thing I missed initially about previous full-time positions though was getting to participate in Earth Day initiatives, as it was fun and felt very community focused with my team of colleagues.
On Sunday, April 19, a group of small business owners, entrepreneurs, contractors, and community members came together at Barnet Marine Park for a shoreline cleanup. With support from Ocean Wise and the City of Burnaby, we were able to provide the equipment and structure. But what made the day meaningful was the people!
Group of people cleaning up the beach
Big thank you to:
Andre Bussanich, Owner of Dos Dos Design
Ray Wang, Owner of RW Digital
Barb Kojder of Douglas College
Erin Hayashi, Instructional Designer and Business Owner
Rohan Singh, Owner of Singh Project Innovations
Harsheen Kohli of Yorkville University
Parineeta Chauhan of Milieu Family Services
Alison Ytsma of Vancouver Coastal Health
+ everyone who spread the word about this event!
Ocean Wise shoreline clean up team
Barnet Marine Park
What stood out
There’s something powerful about seeing business owners step outside of their usual environments and into something hands-on.
People who are used to leading meetings, managing clients, and building companies were suddenly comparing the unusual items they’d found along the shoreline (surprisingly, more metal than I expected!), getting to know each other better, and pausing to take in the view as we worked. No agenda, just a shared sense of responsibility and a willingness to act on it.
Yes, we removed waste from the shoreline, though the real impact went beyond what we collected that day.
It showed that:
Small businesses are willing to show up for their communities in tangible ways
Environmental action doesn’t need to be complicated to be meaningful
When one person creates the space, others will step into it
Why this matters for small businesses
A lot of the conversation around sustainability in business focuses on long-term strategies, reporting, and large-scale operational change.
Those things matter, but they can also create a barrier to entry. Because not every small business knows where to start and not every action needs to be systemic to be valuable. Sometimes, it looks like gathering your network and choosing a place to care for or partnering with organizations already doing the work (like Ocean Wise).
Small businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs may not have the same reach as large corporations, but we have something just as important: the ability to act quickly, locally, and together.
This is just the beginning
If there was one takeaway from the day, it’s this: People want to be part of something that feels real.
As business owners and community builders, we have the ability to create more of those moments, whether it’s another cleanup, a different kind of initiative, or simply opening the door for others to get involved. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room or having the biggest platform.
It’s about noticing something that matters and deciding to do something about it.
If this is something you’d like to be part of in the future, I’d love to stay connected. I’ll be organizing more community-based initiatives like this—feel free to subscribe to the Strand + Strategy newsletter for occasional community updates.
And if you’ve been thinking about creating something similar in your own community, consider this your sign!
Paige and Andre waving at the shoreline clean up
