Our Mission
We exist to be of service to
people and the planet
World Centric was named after the belief that we need to think beyond ourselves (ego-centric), and think about the world (world-centric). With this mindset, World Centric was created in 2004 as a nonprofit organization to elevate awareness of global sustainability issues. Today, we continue to uphold the same mission and values to be of service to people and the planet in all that we do. We carry this in our business operations, which are far from business-as-usual, to address sustainability in our products, philanthropy, and practices.
Why People & Planet?
Many social and environmental issues are inextricably linked.
Environmentally, the planet’s ecological systems are being irreparably destroyed due to human activities. In the age of Anthropocene — the current geological age in which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment — we’re experiencing an over extraction and exploitation of natural resources, resulting in a global climate crisis.
Socially, the increase in inequalities among people throughout the world are more apparent than ever before. Half of the world’s population — more than 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. Throughout the world we see billions without access to basic necessities like food, water, sanitation, education, healthcare and more. Climate change undoubtedly exacerbates this cycle of poverty, especially in communities where resources aren't available to mitigate the effects of this environmental degradation.
Sustainability Issues We Focus On
While there are a host of issues we face in the world, these social and environmental issues are the ones we’ve chosen to address through our products and profits.
Alleviating Extreme Poverty
As we look at our planet, the increasing social inequalities are more apparent than ever before.
Extreme poverty is defined as living on less than $1.90 a day. Throughout the world we see billions living in extreme poverty without access to basic necessities:
- 780 million people lack access to clean water
- 820 million do not have enough food to eat
- 2.5 billion lack access to improved sanitation
- 72 million children are not in school
- half of the world’s entire population is estimated to lack access to essential healthcare services
We believe that supporting highly impactful organizations is one way to help alleviate this poverty and create positive environmental change. At World Centric, we focus our giving on projects that provide basic needs and economic development opportunities for communities experiencing extreme poverty, while beneficially impacting the environment. We hope to not only provide assistance but address the broken system that is keeping people poor.
How We're Addressing It:
Through Our Giving
As a business, we believe in compensating our entire supply chain fairly and using excess profits for public benefit. Each year we give at least 25% of our profits to fund grassroots social and environmental projects around the world, and to offset our carbon emissions. We focus our giving on projects that provide basic needs and economic development opportunities for communities experiencing extreme poverty, while beneficially impacting the environment.
Reducing Waste
The average person generates over 4 pounds of trash every day.
Together, food and packaging/containers account for almost 45% of the materials landfilled in the United States. We create compostable packaging as a means to creating a more circular economy — it has the ability to break down into soil, making it a more sustainable alternative to traditional plastic and polystyrene disposables. We recognize the need for more widespread commercial composting infrastructure, and envision a future where reusables become society’s norm. We believe that compostable packaging is a bridge necessary to make that future a realistic one.
How We're Addressing It:
Through Our Products
At World Centric we make compostable packaging and disposable foodservice ware to replace petroleum based plastics and expanded polystyrene. Ideally, we would like to see a world where reusables are the norm. However, within the current paradigm where trillions of single use service products are used every year, we see compostable products as a sustainable alternative and necessary bridge to a more circular future.
Rethinking Business As Usual
We believe that businesses have a primary responsibility to society to create good in the world.
Businesses can be a primary instrument in capital creation and accumulation. However, this capital often comes at a cost — in order to rapidly grow, many businesses result to exploiting labor and natural resources rather than using their successes as a force for equality and social good.
We believe that businesses have a primary responsibility to society to create good in the world. Products provided should be produced without harmful impacts on the environment, workers and suppliers should be paid and treated fairly, and profits should be creating positive change in the world rather than more billionaires. At World Centric, we're a B Corp that aims to use our business as a force for good. We offset all of our carbon emissions, donate 25% of our profits, provide bonuses for our suppliers, and ensure fair labor standards are met in our factories.
How We're Addressing It:
Through Our Supply Chain
We regularly audit outsourced factories under Fair Labor Association guidelines to ensure fair wages and working conditions. Each year, we give a small percentage of our profits back to our extended supply chain, providing bonuses to our suppliers and factory workers. World Centric is also a B Corporation — a group of companies throughout the world that meet strict social and environmental standards, and exist to be a force for good. We were also named a Best For The World Honoree by B Lab for the past two consecutive years.
Learn more on our blog: Earth Matters.