STEWARDSHIP

Escape Climbing was founded on the unwavering principle of stewardship—the commitment to carefully manage everything entrusted to us. From the tools and equipment we use to craft our gear, to the way we run our operations, we constantly ask ourselves: How can we better steward our facility, materials, staff, and time? Stewardship is an ongoing journey, marked by both successes and setbacks, but through it all, we remain dedicated to continuous improvement. This report outlines how our concept of stewardship takes shape within our business. 

 

THE BUILDING

Escape Climbing was founded on the unwavering principle of stewardship—the commitment to carefully manage everything entrusted to us. From the tools and equipment used to craft our gear to the overall operations, we constantly ask ourselves: How can we better steward our facility? Our materials? Our staff? Our time? Stewardship is a journey marked by both successes and failures, and through it all, we remain dedicated to continuous improvement. This report shares the steps we’ve taken and our vision for the future.

SOLAR POWERED

Yup, we run a solar powered shop that is designed to offset all of our energy usage. Last year alone we generated 169.28 MWh amount of energy, that is the equivalent of burning 15,000 gallons of gasoline, 60,000 kg of coal or 125,000 cubic meters of natural gas. Something to consider next time you choose where your products are manufactured.

WASTE

Analyzing one's waste is one of the best indications of  stewardship and sustainability. A goal we set in 2021 was to grow our company without growing our dumpster. We desire to grow exponentially without having an exponential impact on waste. While this might not be an entirely possible goal, it will always be our target. 

This goal ensures that we are reducing our waste and landfill impact year over year relative to our size. 

HISTORY:

• 2011 - Home start in basement 550sq ft | 32 gallon trash can
• 2012 - Leasing 1,290sf Shop | shared 2 yard dumpster
• 2016 - Leasing 5,018sf Warehouse | dedicated 2 yard dumpster
• 2021 - Operation in 5,018sf Warehouse | 3 yard dumpster
• 2022 - Operation in 24,000sf Warehouse | 3 yard dumpster
• 2024 BREAKDOWN | 24,000sf Warehouse | 3 yard trash+ 2 yard recycling

 

• 176 yards of trash to landfill
• - 52 pickups per year x 3 yards = 156 yards of trash
• - 1 spring cleaning dumpster = 20 yards of trash
  

INITIATIVES TO REDUCE LANDFILL WASTE

We were hit hard with the reality of sales growth and our growing waste. A busy week produces about 5 yards of trash for our 3 yard dumpster. Piles of trash started lined the hallway forcing us to confront our problem. The biggest culprits were wood scrap, dust from the CNC machines and plastic line, plastic wrap coming off pallets, and plastic scrap from our MacroLite holds. 

Solutions for recycling the problem waste

• Revamped our dust collection to separate wood dust from our plastic dust. Wood dust now picked up by local residents for repurpose.
• Small wood scrap is picked up by local wood turners to make bowls and various other products 
• MacroLite plastic scrap is picked up by a specialty recycler Choice Plastics in Mound, MN
  

96% CARDBOARD REUSE

Nearly every oz of cardboard that enters our shop is reused. Any box that is undamaged gets turned right around and ships back out to our customers. All the remaining cardboard is then run though our cardboard shredding machine to create packing material for our shipments. The only smallest scraps of cardboard (too small to run through the machine) find their way to the recycling bin. 

We love shredding cardboard as packing material so much, we find other peoples cardboard and shred it as a way to reduce our dependence on sourcing new packing material. 

An estimated 3,000 lbs of cardboard is shredded and reused at Escape annually.

PLASTIC FILM RECYCLING 

In 2024 as our goal of keeping our dumpster size to 3 yard seemed impossible, we discovered a source to take our plastic film. Stretch wrap from pallets, protective bags, and general plastic packaging was a major contributor to our dumpster. 

We now store up tote size containers and pay a $10 per month to recycle the film. 

METAL RECYCLING RECYCLING 

- 4/25/24 Scrap metal run 880lbs $39.60 

Recycling a ton of steel conserves 2,500 lbs of iron ore, 1,400 lbs of coal, and 120 lbs of limestone, says the American Iron and Steel Institute. Not to mention it saves enough electricity to power 18 million households for a year.

7/2/24 = 842LBS steel, 5lbs stainless, 172 lbs aluminum, 22lbs copper, 10 lbs brass, 89 lbs electric motors. 

10/15/24 = 529 lbs steel, 101lbs aluminum, 34lbs copper, 2lb ballast

CURRENT INITIATIVES

Reducing plastic usage

• Reduce climbing hold plastic usage by 3% by investing in better plugs and reducers. 
• Plastic bags removed in our supply chain by requiring our suppliers to repackage differently. 
• Remove plastic bags in crimp mug interior packaging (crimp mug 3,000 bags per year)

a rain garden allows about 30% more water to soak into the ground.

• Mini rain garden = 105 sq feet and can capture and treat ~ 1,100 gallons of water per rain event. 
• Rainwater filtering: A well-designed rain garden can filter one inch of rainfall in four hours. 
• Converted impervious parking lot area to natural vegetation 8x112’ = 900 sq feet 
• Permeable pavers 4420 sq feet 

CARBON ZERO BY 2026!

Great headline, right?! Carbon zero initiatives feel good and give the conscious consumer the freedom to spend their money guilt-free, but that’s not really our focus. As a company, we’re more interested in the everyday steps we can take—both as employees and individuals—to steward our resources and run our business responsibly. It’s quite simple:  stewardship is our God-given responsibility (figuratively for atheists or quite literally the Christian), to carefully manage our resources and, in turn, our planet.

Take me, for example. I’m Ryan, one of the co-owners of this business, and I’m what you might call a carbon skeptic. Does the evidence for global warming actually point to the sun’s changing solar patterns vs carbon? I have no idea, but I don’t rule it out. My partner, Richard, on the other hand, believes carbon is the main driver of climate change. The interesting part? Despite our different perspectives on global warming, we don’t disagree on a single environmental stewardship initiative. We never argue about global warming because we both feel a strong sense of responsibility to steward whatever is within our care and control. We both want clean climbing crags, healthy forests, cleaner air, lakes, and rivers. We want to see less going into landfills and less burden on our natural resources from consumeristic spending and buying.

Take something as simple as planting trees. We all agree that planting trees is a good idea, right? Whether you’re planting them to sequester  carbon, purify the air and create green spaces, or ensure natural resources for the next generation, trees are a win-win, and we need more of them. And solar panels? They’re a no-brainer. They’ve eliminated our electric bill, provided a solid tax write-off, and helped support our local power grid, especially during peak summer months when blackouts threaten. Plus, they’re far cleaner than burning coal, meaning less mining in MN and better air quality for our state.

Carbon is a great measuring tool, regardless how you think it relates to global warming. Environmental impact can be complex and difficult  to quantify, but carbon gives us a tangible way to calculate our actions and make informed decisions. Whether it’s measuring the efficiency of a tree in absorbing carbon or getting a sense of the resources that go into transportation, carbon provides a useful metric to quantify a product or supply chain energy. 

At Escape, the concept of stewardship is fundamental. We see it as a core  responsibility in running our business. In the biblical creation story, God entrusted Adam with the garden, charging him to tend and manage it. This higher responsibility hasn’t changed; whatever is entrusted to us, it’s our duty to manage it well. From Adam’s role, we learn that stewardship is part of what it means to be human—caring for the earth is a basic responsibility. Adam’s task was to maintain a perfect garden, and ours is to leave it better than we found it. As a business, it’s our responsibility to steward our resources and operate responsibly.