As you follow the words of a popular verse of this song
As you follow the words of a popular verse of this song, think about how difficult it is to be a truly green company. Think about what it takes to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. Please read or sing on at your pleasure.
It’s not easy bein’ green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over ’cause you’re not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water- or stars in the sky.
I was traveling the other day and speaking to a company representative from Humana. We discussed prescription drug purchasing and their mail order program. We then got around to what we each of us did. I explained reasoning behind the naming of our company. To this, and I was not surprised when he said. “Oh so you’re doing the green thing.” And there in lies the problem if you are truly dedicated to what you do. The problem is proof and believability.
Greenwashing is a term that describes the practice of companies who intentionally use spin control to market their products and policies as environmentally friendly or attempt to show that they are adopting practices beneficial to the environment. There may be a similar term for companies that focus on safety, but I have yet to find it yet.
For this author being and as Kermit so aptly put, green is not easy because it means that your company has to act in a certain way that is measureable. This means that you actually provide value in supporting the environment, providing for safe products and are able to provide a traceable history that companies can use to support their CSR initiatives. This also means that a company must promote that same view to all of their internal and external stakeholders in the hope of guiding them to behave in the same way.
In very simple terms, how one conducts themselves personally has a lot to do with the believability of how they might conduct themselves corporately.
A few simple steps that one can focus on in the home may also transfer easily to business practices. There are certainly many more, but a good walk begins with baby steps.
1. Use CFL’s in the home
2. Recycle all home products
3. Use products made from recycled material
4. If possible, Car Pool
5. Shut of lights when you leave the room
6. Purchase and use a reusable water bottle
7. Filter your own water
8. Turn off your computer when not in use.
Ask your solution provider to demonstrate how they can support your green initiatives. According to Cervantes Don Quixote “The proof of the pudding is the eating.”
We look forward to an appreciate your comments.
