Choices are Everywhere. How Can We Make the Right Ones?

If you were given this choice, which would you choose?

• A hairstylist who disposes of all the hair dyes and chemicals used and charges an $8 upcharge to ensure that none of those nasty bits get returned to the municipal water treatment facility OR one who does not?
• A garage that disposes of used oils, tires and auto bits by including them all in the usual disposal methods OR charges up to $25 surcharge to follow protocols that protect the water and air we breathe and the land we depend on?
• A T-shirt costs $8, and the labour paid to make it was 25% of the usual living wage in the country it originated in. OR a T-shirt that costs $40, and everyone involved in creating and shipping that T-shirt was paid at least a living wage?

These are not easy choices, are they? Especially in these relatively high inflationary times, when most of us are desperate to save a buck or two and protect our financial position. Yes, it would be lovely if we could be good citizens and help the environment, but helping the environment seems to cost so damn much at every turn.

This is the real situation of so many of us.

In the good old days, before all this green stuff became a thing, we never worried about it. We had our extraordinary lives; we didn’t care how anything got produced as long as we got what we thought we deserved.

Over time, as this green thing came to the forefront, we saw companies step up and proclaim what they were doing to protect the environment. A new industry emerged: ESG. Environmental, Social, and Governance. And that was good — until it wasn’t.

Remember how Lance Armstrong vigorously defended himself for years against claims he was taking performance-enhancing drugs? Perhaps you remember Bernie Madoff and how his Ponzi schemes bilked thousands of investors? Or maybe you were one of the unfortunate owners caught up in the Dieslegate Scandal, wherein Volkswagon was found to have installed software that lied about the emissions each auto generated? Lies, deceptions, and frauds are often referred to as Whitewashing. In the environmental space, it’s called Greenwashing: same thing, different name.

With so many corporate lies and bad behaviour, it is hard to trust any company’s claim. And that’s where certifications come into play. Certifications mean a company passed a specific bar. Independent organizations that evaluate a company’s practices, from purchasing to production to waste management, set this bar. Some certifications have higher bars than others. But at least a base level of expected performance is met.

This week’s guest on the podcast

He is a visionary who has harnessed the power of most of the world’s certifications together with his algorithmic magic to create a model for consumers to make informed choices. His work empowers us to support companies that align with our ethical and sustainable values, making the world a better place one purchase at a time.

Between you and me, getting that certification for being green doesn’t do ANYTHING for your bottom line. However, when combined with decent marketing, backed up by solid operations that do not shortcut for profit’s sake and transparently show the full effect of what the organization is trying to do ….. well, that is mind-blowingly refreshing to those customers who want to feel good about their purchases. AND it becomes a point of differentiation for you by also providing you a super easy way to attract and maintain customers for life.

Embracing the principles of longevity in business and product design and preserving our planet is a trend that is gaining momentum. This shift promises a future where we no longer question the value of our purchases but rather their impact on our world.

We will eventually move from whether it is worth it for me to pay three or four times what I can get today for next to nothing to the actual costs I am not thinking about by going the cheap route. And ultimately, many of us WILL get to the point of asking one particular question. Is there anyone or anything I am taking advantage of to win for paying the cheapest price?

For lasting impact

We would be very wise to shift our focus entirely away from the planet and the environment to a broader perspective. What if we asked ourselves, ‘Is this for the highest good of all?’ Now, that is a shift in perspective that can inspire us to make choices that benefit not just ourselves but our global community.

In the meantime, tune in, listen, and check out my guest’s website and app. They will help you make your buying decisions easier. And if you own your own business, remember. Every good business leader adores being associated with winners. Now might be a good time to invest in your business to enable it to win in the green space.