Greenify The Companies You Do Business With
No.
Shel stands up to big corporations by “greenifying” the companies he does business with. His philosophy:
Companies need to earn our trust–we as consumers have the power to say no, and our combined economic and political impact is mightier than any corporation.
Do you want to stop pollution, global warming, deforestation, and sweat-shop manufacturing? Read on to learn how to put your money where your heart is:
“Greenify” The Companies You Do Business With
by Shel Horowitz
Why does Starbucks sell some Fair Trade coffee? Why can you actually buy organic milk at big chain supermarkets? And why can you buy a hybrid car from several different companies?
It’s the same answer for all these questions: these companies offer Green products because the market created pressure to do so.
In other words, we consumers stood up and told them, if you want our business, give us socially and environmentally responsible choices. And enough Green consumers took their business to local coffee shops that offered Fair Trade, or bought organic milk from small locally owned stores or dairies, or maybe switched to biking or mass transit that the big companies had to pay attention. And provide alternative products.
Of course, there are still many reasons to shop locally and support these pioneering businesses that do the right thing because it’s the right thing, and not just because the market demands it of them. But always remember that you do have power, even when facing up to the largest corporations in the world.
If you don’t believe me, think about these examples:
- The years-long international boycott of Swiss agribusiness giant Nestlé because its infant formula marketing strategy in developing countries resulted in a whole lot of infant malnutrition and family poverty. The company had to stop.
- Ford’s profitability plummeted after the world discovered that not only did this company learn nothing from the exploding Pinto disaster of the 1970s, but that they knew about the Explorer rollover problem before the car was even released. Even though it bought Volvo, Ford is perceived as not caring about consumer safety–so consumers go elsewhere.
- Just 25 or 30 years ago, smoking was part of the culture, and smokers were allowed to pollute restaurants, bus stations, workplaces, and even airplanes. Now, not only is smoking in public banned in many places in the US, but the movement has even spread to such unlikely places as Spain!
Now, think about how the market rewards the companies that DO care, and builds them much bigger because of their commitment. A few among hundreds of examples that grew ONLY because of their social/environmental commitment:
- Anita Roddick’s The Body Shop
- Ben & Jerry’s
- Fetzer vineyards (pioneers in mass production of organic wine)
- National organic brands like Hain-Celestial, the Canadian cereal company Nature’s Path, Clif Bar…
- Local organic farmers selling at farmers markets or through Community-supported Agriculture shares
So yes, you–we–have the power. Go out and make a difference.
Shel Horowitz’s 280-page e-book, The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant’s Pocketbook offers hundreds of eco-friendly ways to have more fun and spend less money–available exclusively at http://www.frugalfun.com/. For businesses, Shel’s award-winning sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, demonstrates specifically how to succeed in business using Green and ethical business practices. A speaker, writer, and consultant, he is the founder of the international Business Ethics Pledge, http://www.business-ethics-pledge.org/
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