Best Company Announces 2023 Sustainability Award Winners

Best Company Editorial Team

Last Updated: March 22nd, 2023

February 2023 — Best Company recently announced the recipients of the 2023 Best Company Sustainability Award. 

About This Award

Best Company created its submission-based Sustainability Award in 2022 to publicly recognize and congratulate companies that go the extra mile to be sustainable. This year’s list of recipients consists of both repeat and new awardees making efforts to implement clean, green initiatives in their business practices and services.

To apply for this award, companies were required to complete and submit an application provided by Best Company and present evidence of the sustainable initiatives they claimed to conduct. 

Award Recipients

Hawx Pest Control

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Hawx Pest Control

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910 User Reviews
  • Best Company Exclusive: $150 Off Initial Service
  • 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
  • Termite and Bed Bug Services

Hawx Pest Control has increased its sustainability in two primary ways: through its reforesting efforts and by converting a portion of its fleet to hybrid vehicles.

First, as part of its partnership with One Tree Planted, Hawx plants a tree each time the company gets a new customer. To date, Hawx has planted over 20,000 trees. As the company continues to grow, so will the number of trees planted.

Second, Hawx has increased the efficiency of its fleet of vehicles by converting over 60 percent of those vehicles to hybrid. The company is actively working to increase this number and is also implementing schedule changes to make its fleet more fuel efficient and thus reduce Hawx’s carbon footprint.

Leaf Home Water Solutions

Leaf Home Water Solutions works to understand its carbon footprint and reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, Leaf Home completed a Scope 1 and Scope 2 assessment with Eco Act. This outlined a blueprint to help the company understand its greenhouse gas emissions over the past three years and drive reduction opportunities in the years to come.

It also seeks to reduce the impact of Leaf Home’s product packaging. Recently, the company worked with its suppliers to make improvements to packaging, resulting in 50 percent less cardboard used in shipping its products.

Additionally, Leaf Home Water Solutions seeks to reduce how much solid waste it generates through education, recycling, and reuse initiatives.

Entrust Solar

Entrust Solar has made strides to be more sustainable both in its internal workings and external affairs.

Internally, Entrust has eliminated company travel whenever possible by using algorithms to optimize appointments, limit travel times, and reduce fuel expenditures. As a company, Entrust takes part in nonprofit programs, including Give Power and Charity Water, to help the global community be more sustainable.

Glyde Solar

This is Glyde’s second year receiving the Sustainability Award. Glyde Solar sources its materials from sustainable suppliers in an effort to reduce its environmental impact. The company also buys supplies made from recycled materials and supports suppliers that produce products in environmentally friendly manners.

Additionally, Glyde Solar partners with Safe Home Security, a company that provides innovative equipment to make homes more efficient. Through this partnership, Glyde installs smart thermostats and solar-powered cameras that help homeowners make strides toward reducing their energy consumption.

Finally, Glyde Solar is a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), where it has access to a wealth of resources and opportunities to further enhance its sustainability options. By taking advantage of SEIA's offerings, the company is able to consistently stay at the forefront of solar technology and offer its customers the most efficient and reliable solar products and services.

Solar Power of Oklahoma

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Solar Power of Oklahoma

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30 User Reviews
  • Awarded “Top Solar Contractor” from 2018 to 2019
  • SEIA Member
  • 25-Year Warranty

Solar Power of Oklahoma works to incorporate sustainability into its business practices as well as its services as a solar company. Specifically, the company encourages its employees to go to amicus meetings in addition to three weeks of informational training on everything solar. It has also installed solar panels on its office spaces and electric vehicle chargers to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.

Rove Pest Control

This is Rove’s second consecutive year receiving the Sustainability Award. Rove Pest Control’s initiatives to be more sustainable include implementing intelligent routing to reduce travel, creating long-lasting solutions to minimize the number of service trips required, and promoting healthier environmental decisions throughout its customer base.

Rove also has an idling reduction incentive in place and work-from-home options for its employees.

Greenix Pest Control

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Greenix

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390 User Reviews
  • Guaranteed Next-Day Service
  • Protects Against 50+ Types of Pests
  • Four Season Protection Plan

Greenix Pest Control is another repeat recipient of the Sustainability Award. The company has taken various steps to raise awareness amongst its employees, customers, and communities it serves about eco-friendly pest control methods. These steps include education initiatives and promoting alternative methods of pest control that are more friendly to and sustainable for the environment.

Greenix has also made efforts to reduce waste by implementing recycling programs and optimizing route efficiency software, which reduces fuel consumption and the company’s overall carbon footprint.

Additionally, the company has invested in greener infrastructure including 1) the use of eco-friendly products and 2) consolidating into a single, energy-efficient corporate office.

Cape Fear Solar Systems

Cape Fear Solar Systems has taken substantial steps to improve sustainability in its company. These efforts include building a net-zero warehouse (which includes a large solar array), adding hybrid EV vehicles to its fleet, regularly supporting local suppliers and businesses as much as possible, and participating in environmental fundraiser events when accessible. 

Blue Raven Solar

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Blue Raven Solar

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939 User Reviews
  • Full-Service Solar Company
  • Solar Services Available in 12 States
  • BluePower and BluePower Plus+ Financing

Blue Raven seeks to incorporate sustainability not just in its business services (providing solar power) but also in its internal efforts. These internal efforts have recently included recycling paper, cardboard, and other materials; optimizing employee transportation through an installation scheduling team; promoting environmentally friendly ways of working through work-from-home days and optimized scheduling; and providing electric vehicle charging spaces at its office.

The company also reviews its carbon emissions offsets monthly at a corporate check-in and uses high-quality equipment for its installations that can be recycled once it is no longer efficient. 

Lastly, Blue Raven partners with Give Power and donates $20 to the foundation for each new Blue Raven customer. According to the company’s website, this $20 investment provides 1 person in need access to clean water for more than 20 years.

American Pest

American Pest is a repeat awardee for the Sustainability Award and has incorporated sustainability and environmentally friendly services into its everyday business practices. For starters, the company provides eco-friendly pest control solutions through its SMART Rodent Control System. Its products are Quality Pro Green accredited by the National Property Management Association (NPMA), which is the industry’s highest mark of excellence. 

American Pest also encourages paperless billing via Slice, and its LEED pest control services use “pest biology, structure and sanitation deficiencies, cultural peculiarities, and environmental observations to eliminate pests with little to no pesticide use.” By taking this approach, American Pest’s products make the least impact possible on the environment and non-target organisms.

Comet Energy, LLC

Comet Energy installs not only solar systems but also Nest Thermostats to help its customers reduce their electricity usage and live more sustainable lives. Additionally, the company buys as much as possible in bulk to reduce extra packaging and fuel costs. And, since its employees have to travel to different jobs almost every day, Comet Energy has its employees meet in a central location to the job for the day and carpool.

Shinnova Home + Solar

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Shinnova Solar

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69 User Reviews
  • NABCEP Certified 
  • Tesla Energy Certified Installer
  • Available to Kansas and Missouri Residents

Shinnova Home + Solar goes above and beyond installing solar systems to internally and externally be more sustainable. Its efforts include all of the following: 1) installing LED lights in its corporate office, 2) incorporating smaller and more fuel-efficient trucks, 3) offering remote work options for its employees to reduce their commute, 4) sourcing solar panels from a Japanese company that does its due diligence on ethical manufacturing processes, 5) selling solar and energy efficient windows, doors, and siding, and 6) expanding its sales efforts to see more virtual clients, thus reducing the company’s overall driving footprint.  

Freedom Solar Power

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Freedom Solar Power

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167 User Reviews
  • Loan Financing Options Available
  • Available in Five States
  • 25-Year Warranty

Freedom Solar Power has put forth some impressive effort to make its processes and procedures more sustainable. For example, it uses low-energy-usage lighting fixtures in its offices and warehouses that have an automatic shutoff.

Additionally, the company purchases fuel-efficient vehicles when practical and schedules jobs for maximum efficiency as much as possible. And, Freedom Solar Power has a recycling and reuse program in place in its offices and warehouses.

Last, in 2022, the company donated more than $138,000 to charitable foundations in the communities it serves.

Palmetto

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Palmetto

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203 User Reviews
  • Go Solar for as Low as $79 per Month 
  • 3-Step Solar Process 
  • 25-Year Manufacturer Warranty 

A repeat recipient of the Sustainability Award, Palmetto offers a digital platform that has allowed the company to do a large portion of its solar system work online, which removes the need for on-site services and reduces the need for excessive company travel. Additionally, the company incentivizes its employees to reduce their carbon footprint (by working from home) with a monthly stipend. 

Additionally, the company empowers its sales partners with smart canvassing tools to optimize sales routes for efficiency and value. In 2021, Palmetto launched “Get Solar, Give Solar” through a partnership with Solar Sister, a women-owned training and entrepreneurship program advancing the distribution of solar energy in developing countries. 

Through this partnership, Solar Sister has launched more than 8,500 entrepreneurs and reached more than 3.5 million people—expanding access to clean energy across sub-Saharan Africa. Collectively, products sold by Solar Sister entrepreneurs have prevented approximately 946,763 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

SolarSesame Inc. 

SolarSesame is involved in a number of sustainability-related projects as part of its efforts to protect the environment and be an eco-friendly brand. These efforts include supporting the following organizations: Rainforest Foundation US, The Future Forest Company, TIST tree planting initiatives, the Clean Air Task Force, and Carbon 180.

LeafFilter Gutter Protection

LeafFilter Gutter Protection is a part of the Leah Home family and is certainly making strides to be sustainable and protect the environment. For example, the company recently added a fleet management software, Fleetio, and expects to reduce its mileage by 30 percent in 2023 across all its brands.

Additionally, its repackaging efforts for LeafFilter Gutter Protection (and Leaf Home Water Solutions) increased pallet utilization by 7 percent and reduced pallet usage by 2,600 pallets in recent years.

Solar Power Energy

Solar Power Energy’s sustainability initiatives range from eliminating transportation through virtual consultations to protecting the environment by preventing pollution from its business operations. The company is also working to develop its products to minimize environmental impact throughout their lifecycles. 

Solar Power Energy optimizes energy, water, and greenhouse gas consumption in its processes to minimize the company’s impact on climate change.

Solar SME

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Solar SME

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283 User Reviews
  • Get Your Solar System Set Up in 12 Weeks or Less
  • Pearl Solar Certified
  • Compatible with 7+ Solar Panel Brands

Solar SME's mission is to make the transition to clean energy convenient and accessible to everyone. Sustainability lies at the core of their operations, beginning with the financing options they provide and their endeavors to raise awareness. Solar SME offers a variety of financing options and educates the public on the benefits of solar energy through digital and content marketing. 

To further its eco-friendly mission, Solar SME partners with suppliers who prioritize environmental and social responsibility. Some of these suppliers include LG, Panasonic, Sunnova, Hoymiles, Generac, and Recom. 

Sustainability Note

Sustainability continues to be a growing concern among consumers. Although companies have greatly improved over the years, many businesses still have yet to establish any long-term sustainability plan. 

While the award recipients listed above are not perfect in regards to sustainability, Best Company feels that they have made notable moves in the right direction and deserve to be recognized for their efforts. 

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