GREEN BUSINESS VIEWS

Posts Tagged ‘token green’

Strangely enough, Green is now chic, trendy, and relevant.   Before this, it was the domain of long hairs, hippies, and tree huggers.   Years ago, the extreme environmentalist was the “odd man out” and was happy be be so.   Today, environmentalism has gone main stream, and it even enjoys a loyal following that marketers are trying to co-op.

This adoption by the mainstream has brought in a new term called “Greenwashing.”   This is when the Green brag does not live up to the Green hype for a product or company.   With janitorial firms, they have rushed out to buy some “Green Cleaning products,” and then instantly dubbed themselves “Green.”   Instead of learning about Green, going through training and certification; they co-opted the term.  Now, nearly every company in the market has found some way to attach themselves to the Green concept, whether legitimate or not.

That brings us to the topic of “”Token Green.”   This phrase means that a person or business is doing the minimum possible to be called Green.   There are obviously many shades of Green, and some are very mild shades of Green while others are rich in texture.   With nearly every company “Going Green,” there is a large proportion that would fall into the Token Green category.   Sometimes, it’s because they are not sure that ‘this trend’ is going to be around long.   Other times, it is because they care more about the perception than they are for the facts.

As we come of age in a new and Greener world, those that played at Green will pale by comparison to businesses that were “True Green.”   To avoid the pitfalls that will certainly embrace and hurt the “Token Green” firms, make the commitment to start your company’s Green transition.  It need not be instantaneous nor does it need to be expensive.   Hire a Certified Green Consultant to provide the professional guidance that your company needs, and earn your way to a Certified Green Business credential to proudly display.

The Green Business League is a national program with the largest representation in the Green market right now when it comes to Green business certification.  Their 100 point system is the epitome of honest Green certification because, as they say, the GBL certification is “Earned, not Bought.”   Using a well-crafted program, any business can Go Green and earn their certification in just a few months.  More than that, they then participate with a national network of Green businesses to further the sustainable issues of the Green Supply Chain.