Zata Blog

On Sunday, April 22nd, let’s celebrate Earth Day by acknowledging good news stories about going green.

1. Recognize the responsibility

From small companies to multinationals, experience is proving that social and environmental policies can drive brand recognition, customer engagement, and shareholder value. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is really about good business practices, optimizing your resources and listening to your customers and employees. And through this process, you will be innovative, competitive and see returns to your (triple) bottom line – people, planet, profits.

2. Recognize the market

Retail is increasingly competitive and buying power is in the hands of well-informed consumers with access to industry-wide product and pricing information. Brand image is all about public perception and conscientious consumers are rapidly climbing aboard the green movement. Fifteen thousand Vancouverites recently visited the EPIC Sustainable Living Expo as a testament to the overwhelming consumer interest in “Green Living.”

3. Join others

Leading retailers are becoming aware of the impact of their end-to-end operations, from product sourcing, logistics, and responsible product disposal. As companies focus on each business operation they can often increase their bottom line in the process. Although Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) brands itself as “passion over profit”, it has grown into Canada’s leading outdoor retailer and largest consumer co-operative. MEC has been a leader in all things sustainable. They have embodied product life cycle standards from ethical sourcing to a gear swap for used equipment. They remain steadfast to their mission of protecting wild spaces and reducing their ecological footprint.

Vancouver’s Green Table Network provides restaurants with action plans to reduce their environmental footprint while offering products and services that contribute to the local economy. Green Table members are leaders in water and energy conservation, reduced pollutants, and composting. Members experienced an average $800 cost savings over the six months pilot to date. Each member goes through an assessment process and is then provided with an outline of measurable savings, project ROI, opportunities for incentive programs, product recommendations, and the bigger picture benefits to the community. Green Table has had significant interest from BC and Alberta restaurants and is targeting 500 BC members by the end of 2008.

4. Source products better

Ethical, fair trade, and local product sourcing is going mainstream. Retailers such as Timberland, Lululemon, and fair trade coffees such as Saltspring Island Coffees and Bean Around the World use best practices in product sourcing. Birks has announced its commitment to “No Dirty Gold” and will incorporate environmental standards and social justice in its purchasing decisions. Restaurants and grocery chains are focusing on “healthy” options and fresh local products and organics. Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program, that supports the ethical purchase of seafood products,
is expanding its team due to the great demand by BC and Alberta restaurants. And this increased demand is definitely customer-driven.

5. View waste as part of the product

Retailers are taking responsibility for end-to-end product life cycling.
Upholstery Arts’ “Take Back Bonus” follows the European model where manufacturers are responsible for the waste they create. UA uses sustainable forest products certified through the Rainforest Alliance and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Consumer electronics dealers could partner with e-waste companies such as TechnoTrash Recycling that profitably recover e-waste and reduce heavy metals in landfills. Vancouver Island’s International Composting, is finding a lucrative market for its premium compost products by collecting food residuals from restaurants and supermarkets. Vancouver’s Quest Food Exchange rescues food waste across the food sector and currently feeds 60,000 people per month. Pro-active participation by retailers will ensure they have an industry voice when government standards and regulations are imposed in the coming years.

6. Reduce waste from byproducts

Organizations can choose to be market leaders in reducing waste that is a byproduct of their business. Companies such as IKEA are switching to biodegradable bags while MEC and Superstore encourage customers to bring their own. Since the 1980’s, Alan Boysen of Cookies of Course has encouraged customers to bring their own cups, saving more than 0.6 million paper cups from landfill while saving his own costs. Retailers can start pressuring their suppliers to reduce packaging which ultimately reduces production, shipping, and disposal costs.

7. Utilize best practices in marketing

Marketing best practices can significantly reduce paper consumption while reducing costs. EcoEco worked with A&B Sound to rationalize their flyer distribution by 20% using customer postal code analysis. Direct mailing costs may be reduced by 10-20% simply by validating customer contact information. Paper containing recycled stock takes 60% less energy to manufacture and the quality of recycled newsprint has increased dramatically. Choices Markets, Capers, and Cloverdale Paints have selected New Leaf Paper for their flyers creating significant environmental benefits. Catalyst Paper supplies much of the newsprint on the West Coast, and has reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 70% since 1990. They have been market leaders in developing high quality light weight papers that reduce fiber requirements, shipping and carbon disposal.

8. Brand your community involvement

VanCity has made community involvement and philanthropy strategic to its core business. Organic grocers such as Choices Markets provide seminars and sponsorships that promote community health and wellness while building brand recognition. Alignment with a social cause contributes to “employer branding” that reduces staff turnover and increases employee satisfaction and feelings of contribution to a bigger picture.

9. Embrace sustainability as a way of life

New consulting companies are helping companies move into the sustainability arena. Peter ter Weeme, formerly of MEC, co-founded Junxion Strategy to help companies with all aspects of the cultural shift required in incorporating sustainability. One of their projects involves rolling out a national sustainability awareness program for the 2010 Olympics. EcoEco is a marketing analytics company that helps retailers strategically transition from mass advertising and provides guidance for using the savings for CSR initiatives. Change Advertising develops creative campaigns for sustainable products. They are currently launching a campaign for WUN wooden cutlery, a high quality, compost-able cutlery made from the waste products of logging. This product is set to go mainstream through distribution at Whole Foods and the Museum of Modern Art in Europe This compost-able cutlery will replace the 110 billion pieces of disposable plastic cutlery that goes into landfill.

10. Get started today!

It’s the perfect time to determine CSR’s economic and social benefits for your business. The first step is to identify a few key areas where you can make the most impact.

The following references can help you get started:

The Sustainability Purchasing Network has numerous resources and workshops.

The Canadian Business for Social Responsibility provides a checklist for starting the process.

Check out MEC’s 2005 Accountability Report as a benchmark for your organization.

The Clean Calgary Association provides education, programs and services to promote recycling of industrial and home products and awareness of eco-friendly products.

For Restaurants: A to Z of Going Green offers some great information

Meet like minded people by joining Green Drinks, BC Sustainable Energy Association or other local organizations.

Marc Stoiber’s article on the Mainstreaming of Sustainability outlines the necessity to incorporate these values into your business.

Retailers have a great deal of power as change agents in the community. Think about ways you can contribute. And maybe like these forward-thinking companies, you will experience the positive impacts of “going green”.

If you have your own “green” success stories, please forward them to awards@ecoeco.ca where we are creating an archive of “green tips” and references.

Have a Happy Earth Day – and remember it’s the only home we’ve got!

The authors wish to thank the following people for contributions to this article:

Peter ter Weeme – Junxion Strategy
Marc Stoiber – Change Advertising
Andre LaRiviere – The Green Table
Brad Clute – Mountain Equipment Co-op, Calgary

Co-authored by Beth Ringdahl www.ecoeco.ca and Brad Brooks www.myzata.com