Many people would argue that large corporations by their very nature are not green. I see the big boys as being able to make the biggest impacts. Since they use so much energy, material, etc. any action they take to reduce waste and pollution makes a big impact. Not only that, the customer loyalty these companies command has the ability to influence and change consumer habits across the the nation for better (and for worse for that matter).
You can view the original source of this article at http://planetforward.ca/blog/8-green-companies-you-can-feel-good-about/8 Green Companies You Can Feel Good About
Posted Apr 11 2012 by Planet Forward in Corporate Social Responsibility
There are many ways to define a green company. For a company to be green they have to meet at least one of the following three criteria: conduct business in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner, source their resources and products through fair trade channels, or only carry sustainably sourced products. No matter how you define a green business it is hard and time consuming to research where you want to shop. ivillage.com compiled a list of 15 green companies you can feel good about supporting. ivillage used the criteria we outlined above and a few others to produce this list of earth friendly businesses who take corporate social responsibility to heart. Here are 8 of our favorite green companies from the list:
Ikea with solar panels (image credit: Ikea)
1. Ikea: Much of their material is sourced from sustainable forests. They were also the first large retailer to turn off incandescent lights—they no longer sell them or use them in their stores. In the US they have even begun to install solar panels on their stores to help reduce their energy consumption even further. All of their products can be taken apart easily and recycled when consumers are finished with them.
2. Chipotle Mexican Grill: the Mexican chain has revolutionized what fast food means. For the last ten years they have been moving away toward “hormone- and antibiotic-free meat. It now buys its pork through the Niman Ranch, a sustainable farm in California, and makes sure its cows are fed a vegetarian diet and raised without hormones or antibiotics.” They are focused on having a transparent chain of suppliers, and they try to focus on local and organically sourced food.
3. Unilever: is a large multinational corporation that encompasses many brands including: Breyers, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, Dove, Lipton, Knorr, Sunlight, Surf, Vaseline and SlimFast. The company is viewed as one of the corporate climate leaders. “Unilever was the top-ranked company across 16 industry sectors in the Climate Counts 2011 company scorecard, earning 88 out of 100 points.”
4. Seventh Generation: the company is committed to be eco-friendly and sustainable with their wide array of products including; household cleaners, laundry soaps, paper products, personal care items and baby supplies. Recently, they launched a new concentrated laundry detergent, Natural 4X, where one bottle does 66 loads of laundry. Their new 100% compostable bottle is the first of its kind.
5. Hasbro: The renowned toy maker is one of the industry leaders when it comes to being green. They frequently publish their emissions data. Also, the company continues to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint. The toy maker is “committed to using sustainable packaging, sourcing at least 75% of its paper packaging from recycled sources or from sustainable forests.”
6. Johnson & Johnson: In January they launched their Healthy Future 2015 plan. This plan outlines their “aspirations to become the most environmentally and socially responsible company in the world.” This is not just another company jumping on the CSR bandwagon by being green, for the last twenty years they have been working on reducing emissions. In fact they have surpassed the goals that they set for themselves with reduced hazardous and non-hazardous wastes.
7. Starbucks: Chain coffee houses are not the first thing most people think about when they hear about eco-responsible business. Starbucks has fair trade practices in place when sourcing their coffee beans. “Then there are the storefronts, where Starbucks is installing cabinets made from 90 percent post-industrial materials (with no formaldehyde), laying recycled floor tiles and replacing incandescent lights with LEDs. Rounding out the impressive stats: According to the EPA, 52 percent of Starbucks’ total electricity use comes from wind.”
8. Proctor & Gamble: They found that the largest part of their environmental footprint came from the wastewater from washing clothing. This is what prompted them to create products such as cold-water Tide, which help promote a more eco-friendly way of washing clothes. They have also brought out concentrated formulas of detergent so they use less packaging material.
These companies are a shining example of how any company can do their part through corporate social responsibility and green initiatives. By having green information accessible to consumers, you can make reasonable choices without having to source obscure brands. Plus, you can feel good about the products you are already using. Being highlighted for environmental policy and socially responsible business practices enables these green companies to build up their brand image and attract new consumers. As a purveyor of affordable eco-friendly products, we hope you feel the same way about Planet Forward too.
