Visualizing your Human Footprint
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After watching a special on the National Geographic Channel called Human Footprint , I began to think about what it truly means to be a “consumer.” Being a consumer means that we are constantly consuming resources, and as we consume, we leave behind enormous amounts of waste.
On the program, the Human Footprint team very artistically and accurately represents the amounts of food, energy, water and other natural resources we, as individuals, will consume in our lifetime (based on the U.S. average for one lifetime).
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Green: Who Can Claim It?
Remember the greenwashing definition from the last word of the week post. A lot of examples out there, right? Marketers know that consumers are willing to pay a premium for “eco-friendly” products and so many choose to claim that a product is green regardless of its actual impact on the environment. What’s to risk? After all, there is no real regulation of “green claims.” The danger is that, if in the end your company’s products don’t live up to green standards, your brand credibility can, and most likely will, take a hit.
So how do you know if your product is “green enough”? Here’s a great tool I came across when researching the subject on-line. Terra Choice, a North American environmental marketing agency, conducted a survey of products and as result was able to identify what they call the “Six Sins of Greenwashing™” Check out their survey at www.terrachoice.com. This is an excellent way to check yourself before making a big “green” mistake.
Oh, and the next time you post a “greenwashing” example, see if you can identify which of the six sins hath been committed.
By: Laurie Scott
Are consumers really consuming?
con•sum•er (n.)
• One who, or that which, consumes
• A person or organization that uses a commodity or service
• An individual who purchases goods for personal use as distinguished from commercial use
Consumer is a word we use a lot in the branding industry, but is that really accurate? A National Geographic Special, Human Footprint, sheds some light on just how much we consume in a lifetime.
So how much of what we buy do we actually use? Not much. Our per capita trash disposal rate in 2006 was 4.6 pounds per person, per day, and more than half of that went directly to landfills, where trash is buried and unable to decompose naturally. Landfills release one-fourth of all methane, a gas that contributes to global warming and, despite careful engineering, landfills leak liquids into the groundwater.
The fact of the matter is that when you purchase something as a consumer, you are paying for a lot: the energy used to produce it, the cost to package it, the electricity to store it, the gas to haul it, the trash collection to rid of it (a 47 billion dollar per year business in America), and ultimately, the toll its disposal takes on the environment.
So in the spirit of earth week, take these tips on how to be a more efficient consumer:
• Recycle
• Buy less
• Buy local
• Pay attention to packaging
• Buy recycled products
• Donate used items
Stay tuned for Kristin’s post on Visualizing our Human Footprint.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
Word of the Week: Greenwash
Greenwash (grēn wŏsh)
Verb
To mislead consumers regarding the practice of your company or the environmental benefits of your product or service.
See any examples of this lately? Send them in.
By: Laurie Scott
Let's Go Eco!
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Astroturf, wasabi, the loaf of bread you left unattended for a month . . . it seems like everything is green these days. Environmentalism is here to stay, and organizations worldwide are taking strides to adopt eco-friendly policies.
Who says peer pressure is a bad thing?
1. PAPER: Nearly 40% of municipal waste is paper products, with offices alone going through an average of 10,000 sheets of copy paper per person each year.
• Let’s get the most out of paper before we chuck it
• Whenever possible, print/copy documents on both sides; if you’ve printed on one side, put the paper in a scrap bin for re-use
• Think before you print! And encourage others to do the same by adding this message to outgoing emails: P Please consider the environment before printing this email
Going green ...
In 1970, 20 million people celebrated Earth Day, and the trend continues today. Over the past several years, we’ve seen an explosion in the number of “green” products, services and companies. These days, it’s not enough simply to be “environmentally-friendly.” Individuals are taking strides to be environmentally proactive, and are seeking out ways in which they can make a difference in their homes and communities, especially with the products they purchase and the companies they support.
In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, brand salsa will be paying homage to Mother Earth for the entire week with a series of green-inspired posts. Can’t wait to go green? Check out these sites for tips and information that will have you precycling and reducing your ecological footprint in no time.
Got a favorite green blog or website? Send us a comment and let us know!
