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Green Business
by Laura

This just in! Did you know that there are companies quietly developing more earth-friendly products and processes without raising a ruckus about it? For example, have you noticed that Anheuser-Busch is making the lids on its beer cans a little smaller these days? Guess what - that saves literally TONS of aluminum each year! But AB knows better than to tout its suds as "eco-friendly," so they're not crowing about it. (For more about how AB is being eco-friendly anyway, read this article.)

Or how about this: the largest buyer of green energy in the US is Johnson & Johnson. But have you seen a marketing campaign touting the company's eco-friendly processes? I haven't. They just do it. And speaking of just doing it, the largest buyer of organic cotton in the world is... Nike. In 2003, the company bought nearly 3 million pounds of organic cotton, and blended it throughout their products. They are continually working with the Organic Exchange and the Organic Trade Association to develop the global organic cotton market. But, like AB, they have decided to maintain a different focus in their marketing, so you don't often hear about this good work. (For more about Nike's committment to the environment, visit this site.)

Even McDonald’s is an environmental "good guy" these days, using recycled packaging materials in the U.S., converting used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel in Austria, and more. (But unfortunately all you hear about is McDonalds’ obesity lawsuits, which is a shame, because it overshadows the good that they’re doing.) (More info on Mickey D's here.)

So what does this all mean to you? Well, first off, it's a warm fuzzy to know that it's not just the little local shops that are behaving in a responsible manner these days. Big corporations, who ultimately have a bigger impact on the environment due to their sheer volume, are responding to customer feedback in positive ways - whether they are telling you about it or not.

Secondly, we think that these statistics are good proof of something that we believe in: you, a single consumer, can make a big difference in the world, just by doing the things that you do every day. For example:

Buying fair-trade certified coffee at the Starbucks down the street shows the company that you support their promotion of fair labor conditions - not only idealogically, but also monetarily, so that the company can keep up the good work.

Dropping an email to Starbucks thanking them for choosing to support the Fair Trade program encourages the company to keep doing just that (it also makes you feel important because a big and important corporation is paying attention to what you have to say!).

Both of these actions take very little effort, allowing you to have a positive impact on the environment without even going out of your way - and they ultimately improve your own health and well-being at the same time!

Not convinced that your email or purchase makes an impact? Joel Makower, crowned the "guru of green business practices" by the Associated Press, would disagree with you. He has spent the past 20 years as an independent consultant in "green business," counseling corporations from General Electric to Levis Strauss and Nike. Of consumer impact he says:

"You'd be amazed at how little it can take to make a company react. They know that for every person who writes to them, there are probably 100 others who agree, so companies are highly sensitive to feedback. Because American consumers complained, McDonald's abolished the polystyrene clamshell containers it used for its sandwiches in the United States. Toyota has pledged to offers hybrids of all its models by 2010-2012 because people like them. Over and over, I've seen companies go from worst to first in direct response to consumer criticism. Home Depot, Nike, Citigroup - they all changed under pressure from consumers. Home Depot now buys more Forest Stewardship Council-certified (FSC) wood - from forests managed in an environmentally responsible way - than any company in the world. Citigroup now buys recycled paper: 28 tons of it (the equivalent of almost 700 trees) were used to produce its Corporate Citizenship Report in 2004."

So. You CAN make a difference! To do so, all you need to do is speak up - either with your computer or your wallet. Doing a little homework before you go out to shop is also a smart thing to do. One good place to start is Joel Makower's website: (http://www.greenbizleaders.com/). He's the source of the stats we shared, and he has a lot of interesting things to say about Green Businesses and Alternative Energy. The site allows you to search for green businesses by "Initiative Type" (ie, Energy Use), by "Sector" (ie, Computers/Electronics), or by company name. You can also look up any number of environmental awards and see what companies are being recognized by independent organizations for their "green" innovations. (For example, the Marriott chain of hotels has been recognized by Energy Star for successfully enhancing "its energy management systems and procedures" - read more here:) http://www.organicbunny.com/travel)

Here's another idea: subscribe to the Organic Bunny newsletter! It contains links to cool sites that we find, like Joel Makower's, to help you in your quest for healthy living. It's also a monthly update of what's new on the site, delivered straight to your email box. (Please note, we will NEVER EVER send you junk or sell your email address. Your spam-blocker can rest easy!)

Spending a little time at the computer before loading up your shopping cart is smart. It enables you to go out and buy confidently, patronizing companies that "get it" - and helping us all to stay on the right track!

Do you know of other "green" companies or websites that everyone should hear about? Please tell us about it!