Ace Hardware Stores Get Hyper-Local with Orca-Friendly Labels

Today, many consumers are looking to shop small, eat slow food and fundraise for people in their own neighborhood. And this focus on local also applies to where consumers think companies should address important issues, as 43 percent of Americans say they want companies to prioritize quality of life in their local communities (vs. 38% nationally or 20% globally). Now, one business is partnering with a nonprofit to bring a hyper-local label to a community, tackling a unique issue while empowering consumers to make educated purchasing decisions.

If you head to Ace Hardware stores in Washington's San Juan Island area, you may notice a unique label on products in the stores – one that was created specifically to address an issue of that area. The stores' manager, Randy Burgess, partnered with the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) to launch an "orca-friendly" label. What's the connection between hardware and orcas? When individuals use harmful products on their homes or lawns, those chemicals can end up in watersheds. "It just so happens that our watershed here in the Pacific Northwest has endangered orcas in it," said Michael Harris, executive director of the PWWA to Fast Co.Exist. The label helps consumers make educated decisions that directly impact their local area.

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