So what does the wise person do? We suggest that you actively inform your customers about the concept of greenwashing and why you will not support or use it. The very best argument is that if you actually take the environment seriously, you cannot, by any right, use greenwashing. It is unsustainable and often leads to new or other environmental impacts and one is of course completely unacceptable. On the other hand, you can offer to be concrete and meaningful. Here are some good options: We are a collaboration of advisors, sellers, importers and producers from around the world, especially within the EU. Our goal is to provide a platform that offers the participants a real and serious on the myriads of “green and recycle” products that are being offered today.
The main driving force behind this is the participants wish to genuinely work to better the state of the matter regarding “green” marketing and CSR. Therefore, all participants must commit themselves to actively try to uphold the following codex:
1. We do not sell products without a relevant use or value for the target audience the product is intended for.
2. We do not sell products without meaning - for example a pen with solar cell!
3. If we sell a product made from recycled materials, we have documentation that it is recycled. We know the proportion of recycled materials and we know whether it is post-consumer waste or industrial waste.
4. If we sell a product that can be recycled, we know where it can be delivered and under what conditions.
5. We always try to choose products made from as few different materials as possible - to increase the possibility that they can be recycled. For example, a notebook of recycled paper should not have a spiral back of coated metal or unknown plastic. We try to avoid the spiral back.
6. We always try to choose products made from materials that are already collected and recycled where possible and make sense.
7. It does not make sense to apply ink, glue and similar components containing dangerous substances to recycled paper or Ecotex clothing. We try to control ingredients in ink and glue; for example in the ink in pens. After all, it would be nonsense that a bio-pen made from bamboo contained ink that containing carcinogens.
8. Quality, design, value in use and service life are important parameters for sustainability. A product that the recipient is happy to use for a long time and can clean without any hassle is far preferable to a product that ends up in the residual waste after a week - no matter how sustainable the materials were.
9. It is a good idea to try to avoid or minimize the packaging. But not if it results in a large number of transport damage or an unsanitary product. On the other hand, there is no reason not to ensure that the packaging, including tape, glue, inks, etc., does not contain hazardous substances and can be reused in existing recycling systems.
10. Alternative, renewable, plant-based materials may be a good idea. But not if they end up in residual waste and otherwise means that ready-to-use recyclables end up as residual waste.
Apart from the codex, the networking opportunities are another great asset to have at your disposal. The platform aims to enable the participants to seek collaboration between its participants to build trusted relations and provide a base for the exchange of knowledge. Furthermore the participants who are willing to become active members have the opportunity to get personalized advice and counseling regarding product compliance, CSR as well as courses in green marketing and advice on legal requirements regarding marketing and product compliance.
