Green Claims: With A Little Help From Our Clients
The week has barely begun and I’ve already come across several news articles on large corporations and sustainability. I’m quite happy to see the big elephants moving into this mindframe; after all, it’s corporations who produce the most waste and carbon emissions. So why are we so quick to criticize a corporation when it makes a move to become environmentally responsible?
An example of a recent green move is eBay’s new green shopping hub that will help consumers find millions of green products. The online marketplace has also launched its eBay Green Team Challenge, a program that commits the online giant to save up to a quarter of a million acres of rainforest for consumers who reuse. Starbucks is also implementing a green marketing program: in collaboration with Conservation International, the coffee house chain is launching a new Starbucks Card made with 80 percent post-industrial recycled materials. Starbucks will donate 5 cents to Conservation International to help save forests each time consumers pay with the “Preservation” Card from March 9 to Dec. 31.
This is good news… right? It would seem so, but the first comment this news article got was “Perhaps a better way for Starbucks to show its interest in sustainability would be to start recycling in its own stores.” Why are we so cynical about corporations trying to become more sustainable?
I asked a few people on my network and most of the responses I got were “If it wasn’t for big corporations, we wouldn’t be facing such complex climate change issues” and “I just think they’re just pulling another marketing stunt – after all, they’re still running ‘business as usual.’” True enough. On his book “Strategies For The Green Economy,” Joel Makeower shows us how much large corporations contribute to the state of our planet (Joel cunningly demonstrates how municipal waste – such as paper, yard trimmings, plastics, food scraps and so on – represent only 1% of the total waste produced in a given year, where the big slice goes to industrial solid waste at 57%). On the other hand, aren’t we all somewhat guilty as well? If we didn’t buy their products, these companies wouldn’t be the giant corporations they currently are.
So, how can we help?
As consumers, we need to be more optimistic. It’s true that there are quite a few businesses that are jumping into the green bandwagon just for the word-of-mouth. But until we actually have proof that they’re not walking the talk, let’s support them. Any step towards environmental sustainability is a good step, and we need the support of the business community if we’re serious about climate change.
How can corporations help us help them?
• Be honest about your efforts – no exceptions.
• Be transparent – let your clients know that you’re doing great things, and recognize there’s still a lot to accomplish.
• Be clear on your environmental claims – claims should be tailored to the consumers who will use the products, and they should be easily understandable.
• Be specific – Does the claim apply to the product, the process, the packaging or some combination of these?
• Bear in mind that products will be used in the real world – claims should be relevant and reflect real-world usage conditions.
• Beware of overstatements – general claims about environmental safety or benefits should be avoided (e.g., “world’s greenest”).
How do you, as a consumer, react to green marketing claims?
Recommended reading:
How To Prevent Greenwashing
Execs Share Best Practices in Green Marketing
Building a Green Company Culture, One Day at a Time
I agree with you and everyone’s reactions is typical, but everyone starts somewhere – including large corporations. I recently started an organization called S.U.N. Group (Sustainable Upstate Network) and we are made up of over 30 non-competing businesses. Our mission is to accelerate the eduction and acceptance of sustainable solutions in commercial properties.
Andy
Great article and so true! I know whenever I attend a green building conference, I am always nervous about the reaction of fellow attendees if I’ve forgotten to bring a reusable cup or, heaven forbid, am not carrying a cloth shopping tote.
People, like corporations, have to start somewhere and if they’ve spent a lifetime or decades doing business one way, it’s only reasonable to assume it will take time to implement a course correction.
The only thing I might add to that list is: Be brave – try new things, see what works, make adjustments.
Finally, as a consumer I appreciate the efforts of corporations, but do feel most of them could be doing more. Heck, I could be doing more! Couldn’t we all?
Companies that use green or sustainability claims solely for promotional purposes can be annoying, but if it’s genuine, relevant, etc, why shouldn’t a company benefit from their efforts by promoting them? We have remember that companies need incentive to change, and the reality is that achieving growth and profitability are primary incentives for most businesses. This is accomplished by earning and keeping their customers’ goodwill.
If in doubt about a company’s genuineness, look to see if they publish a CSR or sustainability report and read it. It should give you an idea of how real they are. And also look to see where they are getting their third party verification from.
The message here is don’t judge before you know, or you might throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water.
Great comments! @andrew picco, @Kimberly Madrigal and @Peter Brown, thanks for your insights. I agree with you: companies should be honest and transparent.Can you share some examples of a good green marketing program vs a typical greenwashing campaign?