When Big Time Marketers Get Into Greenwashing We All Lose
By Tiffany
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To be honest, Tiffany, I find it very difficult to define a “green” company. “Green” and “business” are certainly mutually exclusive: business implies making a profit (that is, excess beyond that required for the employees to earn a living wage), and it is not possible to make a net profit and be genuinely sustainable (that is, zero negative environmental impact).
“Company” is different: it does not necessarily imply profit, so off the top of my head I would say a green company is one that:
1) Does not make a net profit
2) Is genuinely sustainable
Unfortunately, I can’t think of a single company that fulfils both of these criteria.
Ville
Interesting interpretation Ville.
Personally, I use the definition outlined by Bob Willard who is a respected author and businessman himself on this subject. He breaks companies down into 5 categories:
1) Pre-Compliance (meaning they are breaking the law)
2) Complaince (meet the requirements and that is it)
3) Beyond Compliance (a few minor tweeks or adjustments)
4) Integrated Strategy(essentially eco-efficiencies meaning upgrades and changes that specifically save money in the current free market system over a short to medium term)
5) Purpose & Passion (meaning those are the basic principles upon which the company is founded.)
There is great work being done and companies out there that prove everyday that “eco-friendly” and “business” are not in fact mutually exclusive. I recommend Willard for a business perspective. Business is dependent upon resources to create their products, which is directly dependent upon the resources available, their management, and their relative scarcity or abundance. Check out Environmental Economics for an ecosystem valuation sided-economic and Ecological Economics for a German School of Economics based perspective.
You might find that a lot of companies are surprisingly sustainable and are making incredible strides in this field. Cradle to Cradle is an eco-label that is also worth checking out and reading the book for more information.
Thanks for the question!
I have to travel 156 miles round trip to my place of work but i have no alternative.
I would love to work on my own doorstep but until an opportunity arises I will still have to drive my car.
I feel guilty every day about my carbon footprint.
I use the definition outlined by Bob Willard who is a respected author and businessman himself on this subject. 😉
An interesting article. Well, some businesses are really cheeky. I recently saw a “green” face cream in the shop. They’ve put the usual paraben-PEG-poison junk in a rough cardboard box and claim it’s a green product because you can now recycle the outer packaging!
And the reason the greenwashers can make money is clearly outlined by Julian Taylor. It’s the guilt. People are falling for the greenwashers only because they feel guilty.
You don’t have to. I believe that we all can do something for the environment. If you currently cannot drop your car, relax and don’t feel guilty – there’s definitely something else you can do. Install a solar cell, plant a tree…
It’s amazing how knowledge could fulfill one’s dream and ambition. Being brave is a different thing compared to being brave with knowledge.