Authentic Green
February 1, 2011 | Posted in: Uncategorized | 0 Comments
Green. Ten years ago this was just a color associated with nature, Kermit the Frog, and an integral part of a rainbow. The word didn’t mean very much alone. Now, the word “green,” in and of itself, has a powerful (and often misleading) implication of being environmentally friendly. This could be a product, a service, a company or even a person.
Sustainability – people, planet and profit – is an integral part of business operations. As a result, “green” products and services have saturated the marketplace. As business and consumers have recognized the benefits of sustainability in general (it’s not all about the environment) many companies have moved to consider environmental impact into their purchasing procedures. But where to begin? Why is authenticity important? And how can purchasing green negatively affect a company?
There are many shades of green. Environmental purchasing policies generally place priority on green products that perform equally or better than their non-green counterparts. It is crucial – as a business and consumer – to make educated. Consider these factors when selecting green products and services, and choose the shade of green that meets your goals.
Cost: Why does green cost more and are you spending more on a product that doesn’t have any positive environmental impact? There are many products that have green features but aren’t even marketed as such…..and they don’t cost more.
Where and how is it made? Here’s the simplified reality: China is buying a lot of our stuff and recycling it into new stuff. We buy that stuff, which continues the cycle. Buying local can be important for many reasons such as decreased transportation impacts and supporting local jobs.
But the reality is that we live in a global marketplace and generally speaking, the majority of our purchases have multiple components that come from multiple places.
What is your goal? Global impact, addressing a bigger picture such as greenhouse gases? Looking at one factor, such as post-consumer recycled content? Packaging? Chemicals – health impact and/or environmental impact? Disposal – the reality of whether a product can actually be recycled? And into what?