Sustainability: business, life, environment

As a green living consultant and an advocate for sustainable change in business, I enthusiastically express to clients, peers, and friends that everything we buy is an expression of consumer preference.  While some choices may have a lesser impact, each time we open our packet books or wallets to make a purchase, we are telling the business world that we approve of the product and service they are providing.  With many watchful eyes already focused on the ‘greenwashers’  critiquing what is not acceptable, I prefer to  address the greater value: focusing our attention on what we do want.

At Taiga Company, we have seen a shift in consumer preference over the past few years.  There seems to be a general trend of increasing eco awareness and a decreasing resistance for more sustainable products.  In fact, a recent survey indicates that 34 percent of American consumers are more likely to buy environmentally responsible products today, and another 44 percent indicate their environmental shopping habits have not changed as a result of the economy.  Specifically, younger consumers are expecting more from their green purchases and their consumer behavior is reflected in these desires.

Taking a lesson from that often self-focused teenager, an expression of personal ‘desired’ preference will ultimately place pressure on green products to meet these buyer needs.  So rather than focusing on what it is that we do not like about a product, focus attention and make purchases based upon what it is you do like:

•    I want a product that uses sustainable materials.
•    I want a product that is produced using environmentally responsible processes.
•    I want a product that is socially responsible  and uses fair trade practices.
•    I want a product that is energy efficient.
•    I want a product that is recyclable and has a minimal life-cycle footprint.

For the most part, markets tend to respond much more quickly to meet desires than respond to resistance.  When you find a product or service that meets your preferences, confirm your approval by purchase and promotion. 

As a sustainability consultant, I am enthusiastic about the shifting preferences of consumers.  Raising eco awareness and everyday purchases of more sustainable products and services is transforming business actions.  It is motivating companies to incorporate true business sustainability into their product offerings.