Good to Green – Healthy People, Happy Planet
Read this article in Spanish.
Good to Green is a holistic membership rewards shopping site which features environmentally and socially responsible companies. Consumers come to www.GoodtoGreen.com to learn more about companies that have made a commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and creating healthier products. If a customer chooses to purchase something, they receive a cashback reward, which can be cashed out or donated to an environmental cause. The possibility of Good to Green is Healthy People, Happy Planet. The outcome is the reversal of Global Warming.
It is important for consumers to recycle, compost, ride our bikes, etc., but these actions alone are not enough to shift the climate scoreboard. Green shopping may sound like an unlikely catalyst, yet it is incredible vehicle to shift our current climate crisis. Why? Consider the current reality of manufactured goods today:
- Most consumer goods use 10-100 times the raw materials associated with the end product.
- For every 1 pound of consumer waste there is an average 65 pounds of waste generated upstream.Source: Joel Makower
Good to Green exists to reduce the wasteful misuse of the Earth’s raw materials and the toxic by-products associated with many manufacturing practices.
It all started when…
Good to Green was born when Founder Sonja Price became fed up with her own guilt-ridden shopping excursions. She was tired of not knowing where and how many of our household items were made. She did some research and identified that shopping is America’s #1 past-time (2nd is watching TV, which is filled with many advertisements about what to buy when you do go shopping).
She found that many companies are starting to make positive changes, but most are still hesitant to commit resources to sustainable initiatives, and many have expressed concern the market is not yet ready to invest in eco-friendly products. Good to Green conducted some preliminary market research and found that 52% of consumers indicate it is difficult to find values-based data that would impact their purchasing decisions.
So it’s a chicken vs. the egg scenario. Which one comes first? Both. Good to Green believes that as consumers have access to the data that will better inform their green shopping decisions, their purchasing power will signal companies to respond to the market need.
Good to Green has invested numerous resources to provide that valuable research on what companies are doing to create a greener planet. They apply an Appreciative-based approach by placing more emphasis on what is working. They promote and reward companies who are doing good (vs. pointing blame at the companies who just haven’t joined the conversation yet). Good to Green asserts that if consumers build the need, the majority of manufacturing companies will eventually join in this movement.
The Good to Green team is also involved in many political actions to help introduce a carbon tax which will impose standards and enforce the largest offenders to pay taxes on greenhouse gas emissions. While we are waiting for government policy to be officially introduced and to take effect, Good to Green aims to reward the market leaders by promoting a plethora of earth friendly products including green cleaning supplies, eco-friendly clothing, travel accommodations and many more.
The 5 Year Plan
Good to Green will eventually begin consulting with businesses to help create and implement Sustainable Strategies which will encompass Manufacturing Process Improvements, Employee & Customer Engagement, and Change Management tactics. The ultimate goal is to aid companies in revitalizing their product offerings that will create a healthy future for the world and all of it’s creatures.
The Power of TMLP
Sonja joined the Team, Management and Leadership Program in August 2012 to provide structure and a support system to get Good to Green off the ground. As Sonja shared “TMLP has kept me present to an empowering context and has helped keep this game on track to winning in the marketplace. There is no possible way I could have launched this company on my own. I used to be a lone wolf, but because of this program I am continuously enrolling more people to join this project. We are having so much fun and I am grateful to TMLP for helping me understand the benefits of shedding my ego and allowing other people to contribute to this very important movement!”
“Our customers are just as much a part of our team as staff members. Every customer is invited to participate in our Advisory Committee. We understand that if we are to transform ‘Climate Crisis’ into ‘Climate Clarity’ it is going to take each and every one of us to create the change we wish to see in the world.”
You may remember hearing about this game under a previous name. This TMLP Game in the World, previously known as ‘Green To Your Mother Earth,’ was featured at the November 2012 Orlando weekend.
A “Reasonable/Unreasonable” Request
Sonja requests “Every person reading this article to be conscious of where you invest your dollars. Take little steps everywhere and anywhere. It is possible to reverse global warming, but it will take a concentrated effort of each and every one of us working together to invest our dollars wisely in companies that are doing good in the world. Through education and action, we can all be part of the solution, rather than being blind to problem. Thank You!”
Interviewee: Sonja Price – Team Seattle
Interview by: Michelle Santucci – Team New England
