How you can build a greener planet using the power of your wallet

From exiting firms that pollute to spending on environment-friendly products and endorsing socially responsible firms, there are silent but powerful ways in which your money can do the talking

In our increasingly connected world, consumers are becoming more educated about the environmental impact of a growing population competing for finite natural resources. Put simply, most people are more open to the idea of using less harmful products, especially if they are as easy to find and use as other products. Globally, a report says that 55 per cent of consumers across 60 countries are willing to pay higher prices for goods made by environmentally-conscious companies. Clearly, consumers care more now than ever before, about the green industry and have the resources to find products that meet their requirements.

And companies are noticing. From huge multinationals and local businesses to the meaningful growth in entrepreneurial concepts, the green movement is in full swing and reaping benefits.

Reducing the plastic footprint

Sample this. A superstore in Chennai recently abandoned single-use plastic for packaging and switched to the banana leaf for fresh fruits and vegetables. According to Sanjay Dasari, founder of retail chain Sunny Bee, "Banana leaf is the best solution for packaging as it gives a natural cooling effect and prolongs the shelf life of the produce. However it can only be used for fresh fruits and veggies, not cereals. We experimented with rice but banana leaf couldn't take the weight of the packet, the way customers wanted.” How much did Dasari have to invest more while switching over to a greener solution? His answer is less money but more time, as he sources banana leaves from a network of 35,000 farmers across India. “It actually ends up being cheaper than traditional plastic bags for packaging but it takes a lot of time to pack each one,” says Dasari who says customers have given “overwhelmingly positive feedback” on this green innovation.

There are growing examples of green initiatives by companies. In India, The Body Shop launched its in-store recycling programme, BBOB (Bring Back Our Bottles), encouraging customers to return empty plastic packaging for recycling, currently operational across 40 stores. Besides, it has started using community trade recycled plastic in its 250ml haircare bottles. In 2019, it is buying 250 tonnes of community trade recycled plastic to use in nearly three million 250ml haircare bottles. According to Lee Mann, Global Community Trade Manager at The Body Shop, “Our new Community Trade partnership will not only help support waste pickers but also champion plastic as a valuable, renewable resource when used responsibly.  We want to use plastic recycling to help transform lives.”

Sustainability boosts returns 

HCL Foundation is working towards the problem of stubble burning by making available Turbo-happy Seeder machine which has been found the most effective way of management of stubbles to the farmer; this to help the farmer dispose off crop stubble that causes rapid air pollution every winter in Delhi region. It is also investing in other technological solutions for agriculture such as land laser leveller, seed drill amd Rotavator. Functioning through its arm HCL Samuday, the company is working at two levels—one, by giving machines on hire at an affordable Rs 700/acre and second, by nurturing entrepreneurs who will spread the technology and providing them monetary support and legal assistance to buy machines that are an effective technological solution to stubble burning.  

The trend to be sensitive to one’s environment and society by the corporates is not driven by branding or customer interest alone. Sustainable business practices help companies save money over time: PricewaterhouseCoopers indicates that companies reporting sustainability efforts have a greater return on assets than companies that do not.

The problem of wastage is global. Recently Burberry faced flak when it burnt its surplus produce. New-age entrepreneurs are addressing problems of wastage with ingenuity. According to Nitin Kapoor, founder of IBA (Indian Beautiful Art), a fashion e-commerce website, “India's textile and apparel industry, which is the second largest in providing employment opportunities, is not unaffected from the 'waste problems.' Mass production into the industry is one of the major issues that lead to the one million tonnes of textile disposed every year with most of this coming from household sources. But the issue of 'mass production' can be addressed by the use of 'technology' or 'demand-oriented production' capabilities. Kapoor achieved a breakthrough with his new 'Just in Time' technology. He says sustainability has to be rooted in the DNA of the brand. So, instead of getting prints of the photoshoot, images on the clothes are tested using technology. This effectively cuts the cost of photoshoot production and creates a single prototype for various patterns of the same garment. The colours and designs can be changed directly with sizes till 5 XL, saving time and resources. This helps in energy, water and environment conservation: With JIT, the garment is only manufactured once the customer has placed his order. Right from printing to dispatching the product, the order is managed just within 48 hours with ‘Zero’ wastage of natural resources.

Social responsibility 

Food wastage is another big issue people are trying to address. “Tons of good food are wasted daily in Indian events such as wedding ceremonies. While the hosts and guests have a great time, they often leave behind a lot of excess food, in all wasting up to 40 per cent of food prepared in each function,” says Ankit Kawatra, Founder, Feeding India. The organisation's collaboration with WedMeGood will facilitate in connecting to-be-wed couples with Feeding India, for excess food collection from wedding functions, which will be further donated to shelter homes. This will reduce wastage in affluent parties on the one hand, and support malnutrition on the other.

The very genesis of modern day concepts such as co-living, car-pooling and co-working, is based on sharing the resources and avoiding wastage. The concept itself is a lot more 'accommodating' and is taking root in cities such as Pune, Bengaluru, Gurgaon, and Mumbai and in smaller cities such as Lucknow and Jaipur - basically, in cities with a large student and millennial workforce population. In fact, the future may very possibly see demand for co-living solutions coming single seniors, as well.

The idea of abundance spurred by FMCG brands ‘ye dil mange more’  is now giving way to a more responsible way of living. People are becoming minimalistic rather than maximalistic and trying to save in everything they do. There's a genuine quest for green technologies – solar power, composting, rain water harvesting, growing own vegetables that people seem to be exploring. According to Geetanjali Kasliwal, founder AnanTaya (a globally recognised interdisciplinary lifestyle design studio in Jaipur), “One can make a difference every single second of one’s life by making the right kind of lifestyle choices. Let’s say if you eat a non-vegetarian burger that consumes so much more energy and water to produce versus a green salad that takes up minimum resources, it’s not a choice that favours either you or the Earth at large. From the food we eat (opt for slow food, vegan or organic) to the clothes we wear (always prefer natural fibres) to how we dispose our waste and shop for only that much we need, every little action of ours has a huge impact.”

Consumer response to green

But does consumer attitude towards “green” products translate into willingness to pay more and impact on purchase decisions. “In my view, while there is certainly an heightened awareness about the need to go “green”, I am not sure if Indian consumers – by and large – are yet ready to pay a premium for such products or face any minor/significant inconvenience that “going green” may cause them, says Arvind Singhal, Chairman and Managing Director of Technopak. “But one product category where (at least in the four big metros and perhaps a few other from the next top-8 cities) some traction is there is “organic” products. That category is food, largely limited to dairy, poultry, and green vegetables.”

Finally, when Walt Kelly was creating a poster for Saving Earth recently, he used his comic strip character Pogo with the quotation "We have met the enemy and he is us." The message is loud and clear. If there anyone to shoulder the blame for rapid climate changes, it is us. And hence we need to fight global warming on a war footing by making significant changes in our lifestyle.

How to be an eco-warrior

Follow a minimalist rather than a maximalist approach to life and living:

1. Minimalistic Shopping: The less we consume, the fewer natural resources we use.
2. Minimalistic Eating: Eat fruit and veggies that are in season. This will be  great for the environment and your health.
3. Minimalist Travel: Cut down on travel and use car pooling and public transport when you have to. Ride your bike when travelling locally and keep the air clean.
4. Minimalist Lifestyle: Go paperless and pay your bills online. Swap disposable bottles for a re-usable one and to keep plastic out of landfills. Incorporate green technologies at home, at workplace and everywhere. 

Simple green ideas to be implemented on a day-to-day basis: 

• Avoid wasteful shopping - things that you do not need.  A prepared shopping list will help.
• Make use of car pools. Use public transport more often. 
• Conserve water. Shut off taps when not in use. Reuse water from cooking for watering household plants.
• Reduce the use of air conditioners (ac). Set your ac thermostat on 25 degree Centigrade.
• Follow the three R's. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle where ever feasible. Recycling saves energy, raw materials and help conserve the environment. 
• Buy eco-friendly products - biodegradable, recyclable or compostable.
• Save electricity by switching off lights/appliances/PCs/machines which are not in use. Use energy efficient light bulbs.
• Plant a tree in your housing compound. 
• Avoid wasting stationery. Print only when necessary. Reuse envelopes.
• Avoid littering. Use dust-bins. 
• Have separate garbage bins for bio-degradable and non bio-degradable waste..
• Avoid use of polythene bags. Take your own reusable bag with you to the supermarket. 
• Ensure regular ‘PUC’ check of your vehicles. Turn off your car engine in a traffic jam or when stationery for more than two minutes.
• Check on indiscriminate use of chemical detergents / household cleaners.
• Dispose batteries through certified e-waste vendors.