A recent survey on green products came with the wry
comment that these days people are more interested in
saving money than saving the Amazon. That might annoy
green advocates, but our preoccupation with reducing costs
could end up being the best thing thatīs happened to the
environment in a long time.
The survey by The Shelton Group concludes that
consumers will buy energy-efficient products and services
if they see immediate savings. Of those surveyed, 71% said
they would buy energy-efficient products to save money.
That compares to 55% that cited saving the environment as
a reason.
Among the popular means to reduce energy and costs, a
large number of consumers said they are saying yes to
buying Energy Star brand appliances or a programmable
thermostat, and to installing insulation and/or a
higher-efficiency water heater. Theyīre turning off the
lights and power strips, adjusting the thermostat and
using compact fluorescent bulbs.
Businesses are increasingly looking at going green as a
cost-efficient move. A recent article in the Wall Street
Journal profiled the Subaru auto plant in Indiana and the
savings it has achieved through various means. The plant
has reduced electric consumption per car by 14% since
2000, eliminated sending any waste to a landfill since
2004, reduced by nearly 50% the waste generated per
vehicle and recycles virtually all that remaining waste.
The operation has spent years redesigning plant processes
in ways that ultimately, if not at first, save money.
At our office, which includes three other publications,
weīve put a higher priority on things like avoiding
printing when possible or using both sides of the paper,
turning off lights when rooms arenīt in use, not using
disposable plastic coffee cups, etc. Honestly, itīs
motivated completely by the drive to cut costs.
The Depression created a generation that by and large
never lost its appreciation for the conservation of
resources, because there was a strong financial incentive
to do so. Maybe economic necessity today will prompt us in
business and our personal lives to learn that lesson as
well.
Allan Gerlat is editor of
Waste News. Past installments of this column are collected
in
the Inbox archive.
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copyright 2009 by Crain
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