manufacturers of household cleaning products sold in New York to disclose the chemical ingredients on their websites. California has begun implementation of its Green Chemistry Initiative, also known as the Safer Consumer Products (SCP) Program, to regulate and encourage replacement of toxic chemicals in consumer products. Washington State and Vermont are leading the charge with chemical disclosure requirements for children’s products.
Future of Sustainability Sustainability continues to progress
and transform into a more holistic approach. The leading driver is the movement
toward a
circular economy. As the name implies, a circular economy is one that moves away from the take-make-dispose system and incorporates the manufacturing of products with recycled materials. A circular economy is one that is restorative and regenerative by design. The other major movement in
sustainability is zero waste, which is an integral part of the circular economy. It is an approach that seeks to minimize the amount of waste generated and maximize the recovery of discarded resources. Under a zero-waste system, discarded materials are responsibly managed by reusing, recycling, or composting.
Sustainability Strategy The major argument against adopting this new
model continues to be one of cost. There will be costs to implement this new model; however, they can be offset by the savings incurred. Those that have moved down this pathway indicate that the first year’s cost savings in terms of energy reductions and waste reductions begin to offset any associated costs.
A sustainable business model forces the
justification of any initiative from a strategic, financial, operational, marketing, and/or employee recruitment/ retention perspective. If it cannot be justified, do not pursue it. It is recognized that balance sheets may not communicate the full value of a company, and financial indicators must be augmented by a variety of non-financial indicators. Whenever discussions regarding sustainability
take place, one must use extreme caution so as not to be accused of “greenwashing.” This term not only applies to products, but also to companies that make claims regarding their business practices. In order to combat unsubstantiated claims, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued “Green Guides” in 2012 that address environmental marketing claims. The FTC has also
undertaken several actions to enforce them. Printing companies seeking the highest level of transparency should find certification under programs that are independent and provide third-party audits. The
program for the printing industry is the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (
spgpartnership.org), which identifies a company as one invested in the sustainability movement. It provides discussion points and a mechanism to respond to detailed requests for proposals from customers where sustainability ranks high within their organization. Protecting your corporate reputation now requires
you to go beyond simple environmental compliance to one of responding to expectations of socially acceptable business practices. Sustainability is an investment, not only in the manufacturing capabilities of your organization, but also in areas relating to societal impact moving toward that triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet.
The Magazine 19 Forecast | 2018
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