Business goes green

By Anne Consroe

In a world of free trade and seemingly endless shipping before, during, and after production, it seems as if more and more businesses are beginning to make leaps in sustainable industry.

Many choose to produce goods in a “greener” way for many reasons. In addition to obvious environmental benefits, some companies cater to sustainable production in an attempt to take advantage of the current popularity of the “green movement,” or simply because they morally believe it is the right thing to do.

Businesses choose to advocate sustainable production to cater to consumers’ preferences, especially as organic green products grow in popularity. From Hollywood to small grassroots organizations, “sustainable” has been shown to be the word of the year, and is being marketed to its full extent.

Aside from simply being a catch-phrase, some businesses are choosing sustainable industry because they believe it will benefit the greater good. “Fair trade” products are on the rise with their increases in familiarity and access to markets. Fair trade is defined as a market-based trading technique that promises a fair price for a variety of exports. Keeping in mind environmental and social standards, fair trade promotes economic self-sufficiency in developing countries.

Businesses are also opting for more sustainable inputs (such as organic fibers) to help smaller farmers stay in business while supporting environmentally-friendly farming techniques. American Apparel, Patagonia, Levi’s, H&M, Timberland, and Nike all produce a line of products made with organic materials. Choosing a different green route, L. L. Bean prints their catalogs only on paper from trees that have not been genetically-modified.

Whatever the reason, sustainable practices in industry will be an important factor in the health of our future environment.