Vote with Your Dollar for Sustainable Change

According to the post, Who's the Biggest Greenwasher of Them All?, consumers are the biggest greenwashers. And perhaps, rightfully so.

The author, Joel Makower states, "For more than two decades, they've said one thing and done another, making outsized claims about their environmental commitments — and the actions they take where they live, work, and play — with little evidence to back up those claims." “If consumers were a corporation, we'd be boycotting them."

Which brings us to the case in point: Sustainability is two sides of the same coin. Business sustainability and personal sustainability. Businesses are stepping up to the plate. As a consumer, are you? At the PEW Center for Climate Change's Energy Efficiency Conference held in Chicago last April, one of the plenary session speakers stated a remarkable statistic. Only 8% of what you DO is sustainable -- the other 92% is in the supply chain -- in other words, what you BUY.

As a result, we may not always have time to participate in the latest cause or campaign, but we do have one very powerful tool to affect social change… our consumer dollar. How we spend our money speaks volumes about our beliefs and values.

Noted in our sustainability consulting, sustainability needs educated consumers. Everything you buy affects the Earth, but some choices have a lesser impact. Educating yourself about the products you buy can empower you to make a difference in protecting the planet. It's called "green purchasing," and it's easy to do. As a green living consultant, I've found the problem is, most people are simply not aware of the problems associated with purchasing less sustainable products, let alone the solutions.

So if the problem is a lack of education, then who is responsible for fixing it? We are. Individually, we have a responsibility to seek out information on sustainable products and companies. The easiest way to promote a sustainable lifestyle is by living your values. Sustainable purchasing is one way to demonstrate that value. In fact, getting others involved in your purchasing habits is a great way to spread eco awareness to friends, neighbors, and others in your community.