Blog Action Day...What Kind of Consumer are You?

Today is Blog Action Day, a day when thousands of bloggers all over the world are blogging about one issue...the environment.

I'm taking this opportunity to highlight an organization that is dedicated to changing our habits as consumers: Big Green Purse. I learned about this organization from Mary Hunt of In Women We Trust. Mary is intensely involved in sustainable business development.

Big Green Purse believes:

that the fastest, easiest, most direct route to a clean and healthy environment is to shift our spending to environmentally-safe, socially responsible products and services.

Women spend $.85 of every dollar in the marketplace which is a lot of spending power. The goal is for every woman to convert $1,000 of their regular spending to green spending...buying environmentally friendly products and services. A million women can shift $1 billion dollars and make a huge impact on how big and small businesses view and respond to their own environmental impact.   

What does this mean for you as a business owner? Well, you're a consumer too, right?

• Buy recycled paper products for your business.
• When you replace equipment, make sure it is energy efficient.
• Support environmentally friendly vendors.
• Recycle old equipment responsibly, i.e., batteries, old monitors, printers, cell phones. Earth 911 lists where you can do this type recycling all over the United States.
• Invest your money in socially and environmentally responsible ways.

I have taken the One In a Million Pledge to shift $1,000 of my spending to environmentally friendly products (I've actually been doing this for some time).  Will you join me? And use the comments below to share your ideas for going green in your business!

Check out Patsi's Blog Action Day post too!

Comments

[Mary Hunt]

Diane - thanks for the link love. Today I was talking to a company in Torrence, CA with operations in 20 plants in China. He wanted to know how he could get his products certified after he saw the Big Green Purse program at Wal Mart. He makes paper shredders and is a great example of how a little nudge from Wal Mart and women made him turn green.

[claire]

what a great post!

i work for women's initiative, a bay area microenterprise org that trains low-income women to become entrepreneurs, and our trainers emphasize sustainable business practices.

a few ideas i got from our clients:

• investigate materials that are renewable. we have some clients making clothes who have started using hemp cloth.

• buy local ingredients and materials where possible, and outsource locally where possible, to cut down on transportation emissions. one of our clients sells her baked goods at the same market where she negotiates purchase of ingredients.

• recommend green products to your clients. especially if you offer services, like hair, nails, massage, chiropractic, etc., or if you are a consultant, make sure that you choose the best products to recommend that are produced in a sustainable manner.

• benefit your business by negotiating sponsorships with environmental nonprofits for their fundraising events. you'll get advertising with a constituency you wish to reach, and your tax-deductible donation will satisfy your accountant, and your conscience.

[Diane MacEachern]

Denise - Thanks for taking the Big Green Purse One-in-a-Million Pledge. And thanks especially for listing ways to reach the $1,000 goal. It doesn't take much to make a difference at that rate! Diane MacEachern, Founder, www.biggreenpurse.com