The Test of a Company: How to tell if it is Environmentally Friendly?

Posted by lindseyshoe

How can you know if a company is environmentally friendly? We suggest four basic “tests” to tell if a company you may buy from is being environmentally conscious.

Most of us are trying to do our part at home to be more environmentally friendly. Some people are investing in hybrid cars or more fuel-efficient cars and home improvement projects like solar tube lighting. Others are walking or biking when they can. Many people are changing over to CFL light bulbs, reusing and recycling and raising or lowering their thermostat settings a few degrees. Composting is making a big comeback too.
While there are both big and small changes individuals and families can make at home, we know that industries and companies will have to do their parts as well. Since “being green” has become more popular many businesses want to make a green appeal to consumers. Shelves abound with products that claim to be green and many companies are making the “we’re green” advertising arguments. But what are some simple ways to know if a company is really environmentally friendly?
Many products now claim to be green but putting green on the label and serving up the same product in clear rather than blue doesn’t really make it “clear” that it is green. You’ll still need to read the ingredients list.
Another sign of an environmentally friendly company is packaging. Ecover, which makes environmentally friendly cleaning products like the Ecological Automatic Dishwasher Tablets makes not only a green product but uses greener packaging as well. Ecover dishwasher tablets contain no phosphates or chlorine but if you check out their packaging, the thin cardboard box is 100% recyclable. That’s not really so surprising but the box is made from 95% recycled materials and that is a big green plus for Ecover.
Shipping is another way companies can either prove themselves to either be putting green handprints on the world or to be making big carbon footprints. Here are two examples of shipping that tell environmental tales.
We recently received a package from Pleasant Valley, sellers of organic seeds, bulbs and plants. Sure, they use green growing methods and offer a green product but what about the shipping habits? Our package from Pleasant Valley was shipped in a box that was just the right size and was padded with shredded but intact panels of cardboard. They resemble the pattern of Chinese lantern crafts with vertical slits but still connected on the ends. There were no chemical laden peanuts and no mess. The packaging could be reused, recycled or even composted. We give a big green thumb up to companies using these shredded cardboard panels.

On the other hand we recently received a gift purchased from Amazon.com that was a product from Target. The household product arrived in a box much bigger than expected. Once we wading through the peanuts, we found a second box that was also filled with massive amounts of peanuts. We give a big thumb down to companies still shipping with peanuts in double and/or oversized boxes. Sure, we want our products to arrive undamaged but there are more environmentally friendly shipping materials out there. How about recycled shredded newspaper? Consumers can reuse, recycle or even compost it.

Bi businesses like Wal-Mart have the potential to make big environmentally friendly changes. On the one hand, Wal-Mart stores have made a big change over to the more environmentally friendly CFL light bulbs and have sold tons of them at reasonable prices. Wal-Mart is offering many green products but savvy consumers will notice that Wal-Mart is taking out booklet size ad inserts in magazines (think paper overkill) to tell you just how green they are. Notice to Wal-Mart: We want to know about your green products and efforts but just how much extra paper is being used to spread your message? And while we’re at it, we noticed that a Consumer Reports test showed that the reusable grocery bags you are selling are the leakiest on the market. Sure, as long as there are no leaks, your bags are certainly better for the environment than store offered plastic or paper bags but we want you to know that we’re watching. We don’t just want to hear you say how green you are but we want to see it action.

It’s not just big companies like Wal-Mart that deserve your notice. How about the local companies that treasure your business? Notice the details. When a company sends you a holiday greeting is it printed on recycle paper? Many card companies offer greeting cards printed on recycle paper with soy inks.
To know if a company is truly environmentally friendly:
Evaluate their products.
Evaluate their packaging.
Evaluate their advertising.
Evaluate their services.
Evaluate the details.
Most importantly let companies know how you’ve rated them. If you notice wonderful green qualities like reduced packaging, lower lighting or even green holiday cards, let companies know that this is important to you. On the other hand, if you see shipping packaging overkill or other waste, let them know that too. If you want to be more environmentally friendly don’t just put your money where your mouth is, let your money follow a green thumb up for environmentally friendliness.