Responsible Consumption: The Next Frontier in Green Marketing
In this article, you'll learn...
- How to make your company greener and still profit
- Four examples of green marketing successes
- How you and your customer can engage in responsible consumption
The following article is adapted from The New Rules of Green Marketing: Strategies, Tools and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding (Berrett-Koehler, February 2011).
Is Tom's of Maine toothpaste really green if consumers leave the water running while they brush their teeth? Is an ENERGY STAR-rated light bulb really green if it remains on after everyone leaves the room?
It is one thing to design a product to be greener, but the negative environmental impact made throughout a product's life-cycle cannot be minimized unless the consumer uses (and disposes of it) responsibly.
"Responsible consumption"—what I consider the next frontier of green marketing—is about conserving resources associated with using products. That includes encouraging consumers to use only what is needed and consciously reduce waste.
Sustainability leaders are striving for the ideal goals of zero waste and zero energy, but we will never get to zero until people learn to responsibly consume and properly dispose of the products they buy.
The Consumer's Role
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Comments
Does this mean hair shirts will become fashionable?
More drivel than substance.
Re: TP's comment - it's all about knowing who your market is. As a B&B owner, I am privileged to host many people from overseas countries who find North American attitudes to energy costs and water usage repugnant. In addition, there is a whole niche market of younger, more environmentally people who understand the risks and are willing to pay more staying at an environmentally friendly B&B. I think this provides great ideas not only for bed and breakfast owners to use in their own practices, but to consider when promoting their product.
Check out EarthChamps.com. This is the kind of program that can accomplish these goals.
Good day, these a nice and bright idea, please can we transfer this idea to Africa, i mean, can America and European companies in africa like Procter & Gamble's Ariel do the same?