Project Management 411

Green Hype Can Distract

by Bob Turek on February 23rd, 2008

APICS magazine’s excellent “The Business Behind Green” by Tim Becker of Probity Business Group (membership required), warns to watch out for the hype behind green:

“A recent study by TerraChoice….reviewed 1,018 products making environmental claims. Only one product met all six of TerraChoice’s criteria for truthfulness.”

This overstated environmental record should caution companies to avoid overstating it’s own products and services:

“Green marketing likely will be held to a higher standard-similar to marketing of health-related products.”

The current media darling is climate change, but Becker warns of other environmental issues that can have as large, or larger, impact:

Water: “…70 percent of the earth’s freshwater resources are committed…20% of the world’s population…do not have access to safe drinking water.”

Solid Waste: “electronic waste…is fastest growing segment…and some of the most dangerous waste because of its heavy metals. Over the next 5 years, Americans will discard 250 million computers.”

Not surprisingly there are great rewards for society in considering how green initiatives can affect the supply chain. Wal-Mart’s 5 percent packaging reduction initiative being one. One eye opener is thinking about how the waste comes back- heavy metals in solid waste sold to foreign countries may come back in other less obvious and more dangerous forms.

Have you overstated your environmental claims? What is the effect of overstating? Does your company consider where it’s waste goes? Is it ultimately coming back to you in the form of other products?

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POSTED IN: Solutions and Trends Requiring Projects