Get Smart About ‘Green’ Businesses

Reader Contribution by David Glenn
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Most of us can agree that taking care of the planet and becoming energy efficient are important practices, but when it comes to supporting green businesses, we tend to be led on by greenwashing marketing materials and our own biases. As consumers we tend to automatically assume large businesses are greedy and not environmentally friendly, but think every small brand with a green label is. The reality is that many companies that claim to be green really aren’t, and that some large businesses are actually on the forefront when it comes to sustainability practices.

If you think about it, it is actually the large businesses that can make the biggest difference when it comes to helping the environment, as they are huge consumers of energy and can have a much bigger impact than a small business owner could.

Google, for example, has committed to reducing its environmental impact by purchasing carbon offsets and investing in alternative energy, such as a $200 million wind farm in Texas. Unilever, owner of brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Dove, has set sustainability goals in everything from water and waste, to health and nutrition. Vivint has made strides in the solar industry by reducing energy expenditures. And Sprint combats one of the fastest growing forms of waste in America with its mobile phone buyback program by accepting any phone regardless of its condition or the provider it originally came from.

So how can we ensure that we are supporting companies that actually have green practices, so we aren’t tricked by marketing ploys or our own prejudices?

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