Oct 21

In the past several years, the hideous truth about plastic bags has been gaining more and more media attention. People are beginning to realize what these bags are made from (petroleum) and how long it takes them to disintegrate in landfills (a long time, should they make it there). 

I began to realize this anti-plastic bag mass movement has trickled down to a variety of large chain stores in the local Ann Arbor area. Although perhaps this is an attempt to tap into the ‘green niche’ rather than operating out of eco-consciousness, I feel optimistic none-the-less that environmental stewardship is beginning to be addressed on a larger scale level.

Last night I was shopping for various toiletries at my local Rite-Aid. I noticed that even they carried cloth bags emblazoned with their logo! I was a initially a little shocked, and proceeded to the cash register where I told the clerk that I didn’t need a plastic bag. He seemed amazed at my ability to carry my three items by hand out to my car. He proceeded to let me know that some of his regular patrons will ask to double bag unnecessary items (such as a gallon of milk).

Wasteful behavior such as this makes me feel fortunate that many stores are beginning to add additional taxes when you use plastic bags. Additionally, many cities and states are beginning to propose an all-together ban on plastic bags. Both measures have proven to be very successful. In fact, China’s ban on plastic bags will save an estimated 37 million barrels of oil! This ban extends to the free bags distributed to customers. 

Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to ban plastic bags or even to tax them. The city of Dallas’s local council recently stated that banning plastic bags and food containers would have a “negative impact on the local environment, the economy and the school system.” They went on to say they believe in educating people about what is responsible behavior and simply “not to litter…” a preventative measure that works oh so well…

All in all I am totally in favor of bans or taxes on plastic bags. I think that this is absolutely a step in the right direction; if people are more aware of their conspicuous consumption, then they are forced to take a step back and reevaluate their behavior. This increase in environmental awareness in recent years has spurred many programs that adress the urgent need for stewardship and sustainability. 

Recently, Ingenex has begun to research Michigan State University’s Be Spartan Green program. As discussed in my recent blog post, we hope to bring our eco-friendly internship program to help bring digital and environmental education to East Lansing. It is through awareness and education made possible largely due to digital technologies that we can work and strive towards a more sustainable future.

Oct 15

So it’s already been established that ‘green’ is in at Ingenex. We’re actively searching for ways to make both Ingenex and our eco-friendly internship more sustainable. Several of our past blog posts on our eco-friendly internship discuss ways that we could move towards a greener future and mode of bussiness down in the brickyard. As you are well aware, there are tons of ‘green’ living tips, and stores are stocked full of products that are claiming to be ‘green’ ‘organic’ ‘sustainable’ etc. The seeming ubiquity of such products and services has got to make you wonder- do they live up to the claims they make? Enter the dangerously fine line between green and greenwashing.

Wikipedia describes greenwashing as a term ‘used to describe the perception of consumers that they are being misled by a company regarding the environmental practices of the company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.’ Essentially this is used in reference to a company’s loose usage of marketing and PR buzzwords to convince consumers that their consumption is beneficial to the planet, when in fact it is not. Frequently, these products are identical to their conventional counterparts. 

Environmental Marketing firm Terra Choice is famous for coining and publishing the ‘6 Sins of Greenwashing‘- a reference used to differentiate between companies’ incentives for greenwashing their products and services. Terra Choice quantifies these sins as 1. Sin of the hidden trade off, 2. Sin of no proof, 3. Sin of vagueness, 4. Sin of lesser of two evils, 5. Sin of lesser of two evils and 6. Sin of fibbing.

 

By making claims such as these, the legitimate green market becomes somewhat tainted. Consumers are no doubtly duped by companies making such false or half true claims. Because there is little to no regulation on ‘green’ business (although more certifications are becoming more readily available), many critics continue to dismiss all ‘green’ products and services, which ultimately hurts the industry. 

With the rise of the digital age, the consumer has endless resources available to them upon the click of a mouse.  A variety of product certification websites as well as  peer-reviewed technologies on companies’ websites aid to put the power back into the hands of the consumer. The most important tool the consumer has access to is the power of information. If one is aware that not ‘all that’s green is gold,’ they are far more likely to do the background research and choose the product with a legitimate certification and is therefore better for the environment. The Greenwash Brigade, Energy Star Program, and the We Buy it Green Blog all serve as excellent references to help you pick the truly eco-friendly products that you need.

The Eco-Friendly Intern team is actively be working towards making more green-ovations around Ingenex. We are proud to be actively aware of the misleading dangers of greenwashing and feel confident we are heading in the right direction with our heavy reliance on digital technologies. We believe that digital communications are sustainable and the way of the future! 

Sep 15

 

It’s official: going “green” is not simply a passing trend. Nor is it even a market niche, it has become a concept ubiquitous within our consumer culture. The use of the internet and various other sources of digital media have largely helped to facilitate this ‘green-splosion;’ the consumer can simply Google the green product or service of their choice and they are met with thousands of options only a mouse-click away. It’s never been so easy to be kind to our planet.
These readily available goods, services and references are not available to promote a new breed of conspicuous consumption. Rather, they offer thoughtful alternatives and valuable resources that help us lead more sustainable lives, should we so choose. The guiding principle of going green is to help reduce the amount of resources that must be used both in terms of production and transit and in a phrase, to ‘tread lightly’ upon our fragile earth.
Perhaps one of the easiest and most simple ways to take advantage of the digital green movement is the purchase of carbon offsets. Websites such as CarbonFund and TerraPass allow for you to calculate your carbon footprint based on the frequency of certain activities such as driving, flying, or things you do around your home. From there, you can purchase these offset credits that will act to reduce your impact on the earth. It’s a pretty cool way to do your part to fight global warming.
Aside from carbon offsets, a whole host of sites geared toward green living have gone mainstream. Sites such as Green-Living and thegreenguide offer insightful ways to achieve a lower-impact way of life. These sites cover a variety of different aspects of life; everything from selecting the perfect organic dog food, to the hottest eco-conscious eye liner of the season. Any aspect of your life you want to ‘green’ can be done by simply using Google to search for ways to do so.
//www.homehelptips.com

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The marriage of technology and sustainable products and services has never made it easier to live a socially and environmentally responsible life. When reducing global warming is potentially as easy as clicking your computer mouse, one has no reason not to do their share. The internet serves as an invaluable tool in our green day and age. Green technology, such as carbon offsets and the availability of green products provide the everyday person with an outlet and a sense of ease that they have the power to positively impact the planet we all share.