Done Right, Green is Free
Great headline, isn’t it?
That sentence jumped out at me this weekend while I was reading Marshall Goldsmith’s post, “Advice for Green-Minded People During Red-Ink Times.” The post recaps Goldsmith’s recent interview with Tim Sanders, author of the new book Saving the World at Work, and in it the two discuss how companies can practice sustainability during these tough economic times.
Sanders begins with some straight talk. “In ten years, your company will need to be much greener than it is today. Otherwise, its brand will weaken and regulations on carbon will attack your margins,” he predicts.
Then, he goes on to reveal what he calls a “news flash”: Done right, green is free!
How can that be? Because green isn’t a “spend money” exercise. Instead, going green can actually save you money, he argues. To prove it, Sanders suggests you consider the following five steps:
1. Focus on waste reduction.
2. Focus on reuse and repair vs. dispose and replace.
3. Replace stuff with bits. (Electronic bits, that is. For instance, instead of packages, send files, etc.)
4. Share your cost-savings with the company’s eco-team contributors.
5. Run pilot programs and scale up successes.
Great list, but I’d like to add two more quick insights. First, an emphasis on a green supply chain will have dramatic impacts on Steps 1-3 above. Second, take a look at how other companies are getting it done. Wal-mart, Target, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble… There’s a growing list of corporations discovering that green initiatives equate with an improved bottom-line.
I think Sanders is right: in ten years, you'll need to be greener than you are today. So, if you haven't started already, it's time.
