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More Companies Going Green to See Green
April 07, 2009 09:04 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Buying environmentally-conscious businesses is just one way large companies are trying to project a greener image and capture a new market.
Companies Take on Green Retail
In March, Forbes magazine canvassed a study ranking the 100 Best Corporate Citizens. The article was based on another magazine's work. Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine rated publicly traded companies on categories such as employee relations, human rights, and philanthropy, as well as the environment and climate change, which were both heavily weighted.
Bristol-Myers Squibb, formerly in the magazine’s “penalty box” redeemed itself climbing to the top of the list. After a negotiations scandal in 2006, the company remodeled itself in several ways, such as eclipsing its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent by 2010. The company also constructed a U.S. Green Building Council-certified biologics facility.
Sandra Leung, Bristol-Myers General Counsel told Forbes, "We have gone through some difficult times, but we have learned from the errors of the past. We have emerged a stronger company, not only financially but culturally."
Other companies have polished their image by annexing smaller, greener brands. In April 2008, household products giant SC Johnson bought Caldrea, a manufacturer of nontoxic household cleaner, for an undisclosed sum.
The 50-person company, based in Minneapolis, distributes two high-end brands, Caldrea and Mrs. Meyer’s, that appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. The products are also well known for their unusual natural scents, such as “Watercress Wild Lily.”
The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune wrote that SC Johnson was interested in acquiring Caldrea because it "wanted to move beyond mass-market brands such as Windex and Pledge and to target higher-end customers."
SC Johnson spokesperson Kelly Semrau said that Caldrea is "on trend with a consumer we don't normally reach."
The acquisition is another example of how large companies are trying to cultivate eco-friendly images by selling “green” products.
Bristol-Myers Squibb, formerly in the magazine’s “penalty box” redeemed itself climbing to the top of the list. After a negotiations scandal in 2006, the company remodeled itself in several ways, such as eclipsing its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent by 2010. The company also constructed a U.S. Green Building Council-certified biologics facility.
Sandra Leung, Bristol-Myers General Counsel told Forbes, "We have gone through some difficult times, but we have learned from the errors of the past. We have emerged a stronger company, not only financially but culturally."
Other companies have polished their image by annexing smaller, greener brands. In April 2008, household products giant SC Johnson bought Caldrea, a manufacturer of nontoxic household cleaner, for an undisclosed sum.
The 50-person company, based in Minneapolis, distributes two high-end brands, Caldrea and Mrs. Meyer’s, that appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. The products are also well known for their unusual natural scents, such as “Watercress Wild Lily.”
The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune wrote that SC Johnson was interested in acquiring Caldrea because it "wanted to move beyond mass-market brands such as Windex and Pledge and to target higher-end customers."
SC Johnson spokesperson Kelly Semrau said that Caldrea is "on trend with a consumer we don't normally reach."
The acquisition is another example of how large companies are trying to cultivate eco-friendly images by selling “green” products.
For example, Fiji Water is trying to clean-up its eco-image after the city governments of Seattle, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco either discouraged or banned the use of city funds to buy bottled water.
Although the Fiji-based water company has not cut out the petroleum it uses to produce and ship its plastic-bottled water, the company announced in November that it would take on environmental initiatives aimed at offsetting the carbon footprint left by its operations.
Several other companies have launched ad campaigns touting Earth-friendly products or practices. Lowe’s and The Home Depot are positioning themselves in the green retail segment to compete with the eco-friendly retailers cropping up on the East Coast.
On Earth Day 2006, The Home Depot unveiled its “Eco-Options” product line.
Green Depot, a retailer unaffiliated with The Home Depot, opened the Northeast’s first completely green home-improvement store in Brooklyn, N.Y., two and a half years ago, and now operates five locations in the region.
David Farrington, an owner of a green building supply store in New York, said, “I think the day is coming when the big-box stores will have a green building corner or center.”
By 2010, some 10 percent of new construction is expected to include at least some environmentally friendly materials or design, making for a $38 billion industry.
Although the Fiji-based water company has not cut out the petroleum it uses to produce and ship its plastic-bottled water, the company announced in November that it would take on environmental initiatives aimed at offsetting the carbon footprint left by its operations.
Several other companies have launched ad campaigns touting Earth-friendly products or practices. Lowe’s and The Home Depot are positioning themselves in the green retail segment to compete with the eco-friendly retailers cropping up on the East Coast.
On Earth Day 2006, The Home Depot unveiled its “Eco-Options” product line.
Green Depot, a retailer unaffiliated with The Home Depot, opened the Northeast’s first completely green home-improvement store in Brooklyn, N.Y., two and a half years ago, and now operates five locations in the region.
David Farrington, an owner of a green building supply store in New York, said, “I think the day is coming when the big-box stores will have a green building corner or center.”
By 2010, some 10 percent of new construction is expected to include at least some environmentally friendly materials or design, making for a $38 billion industry.
Video: ‘Green Cleaning’
Kyle Jodice of e-retailer Let’s Go Green describes easy ways to begin a green lifestyle in a clip produced by Better.tv. Jodice points out that paper products can be swapped for their recycled versions, low-flow aerators can be installed on sinks, showers and toilets, and chemical-laden cleaners can be replaced by all-natural ones.
Reference: Green living
In “The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time,” writers Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen identify 12 lifestyle areas, including home, work and school, in which readers can adopt environmentally friendly practices. A number of celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston, Tiki Barber and Faith Hill, offer their own tips for green living. The book is available from the Dulcinea Media Store.
Source: Dulcinea Media Store
© 2010 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
