Recycling is a great reclamation for our planet and for the environment. But will the remedy for our waste problems in America come about through recycling alone? The answer is a simple “no”. There are many reasons why recycling alone will not be able to resolve all our waste problems. Producers and manufacturers have an obligation to their customers and the world to absolutely ensure their products are being recycled by doing things such as partnering and working in concert with waste management institutions. This is the only way real change will take effect to the degree that our planet’s environmental waste crisis demands it. We have to tackle waste problems at their source and so it is the corporations that produce the products that must play the biggest role in reducing the waste problems in our country and our world.
The Texas Campaign For The Environment (TCE), a non-profit, has recently brought this issue to center stage. TCE basically says that manufacturers have to take responsibility for the full life cycle of their products. They emphasize our current system of “produce it, consume it, toss it out” must be redesigned to reduce and eliminate waste at its source. Undoubtedly, eliminating waste from the source makes complete sense. It is almost as if manufacturers get a “free pass” in our current system, leaving the responsibility for recycling largely in the hands of consumers. Now of course, you would think consumers will always be ultimately responsible for recycling, since producers cannot force someone to recycle their products. But with the recent momentum of “producer take-back” programs that are mandated by environmental laws and pushed by “Zero Waste” proponents, things are really changing. This would force manufacturers to work with waste management companies and government agencies to recover and recycle their products. When it comes to long-term progress in reducing the harmful effects of landfills on the environment, this approach may make the most sense.
In the absence of “producer take-back” laws, TCE is doing everything they can to be a great tool for consumers. No matter what you’re trying to recycle, TCE funded TexasTakeBack.org is an outstanding resource for information on recycling all kinds of products from paper to household chemicals to batteries. It is always refreshing to see a non-profit group like TCE working so courageously to solve our country’s waste management problems, and it really shines the light on “for profit” corporations and helps to encourage them to finally go green.
What is your organization doing to step up to the plate when it comes to the recycling of the products you manufacture? It is essential that your company is a leader in the Green Movement during this time of great change in our world, and from a public relations perspective. You can’t wait until you’re in the midst of an environmental controversy to begin your path as a green company (see BP). It just doesn’t’ work that way. You can’t run away from this issue. Your company must start now to do everything in its power to ensure you’re going green in all phases.
This is especially true with your products, which often have your company’s brand name on them, and which will be easily identified when wasted. The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not your customers are educated about exactly how and where to recycle your products. Get feedback from your customers with tools like Twitter and Facebook or on a blog and show the world you are doing everything possible to make sure your customers can easily recycle your products.
You can even go beyond your own products and remember to consider eco promotional products like sustainable pens and lanyards and eco promotional items like green promotional bags and biodegradable bags. This soft marketing tactic will definitely help show the world your commitment to go green. These kinds of items are veritably eco friendly and will not scathe the eco system if trashed. Create a reoccurring community service event with your employees and plant some trees or pick up trash around town for a few hours on a monthly basis.
It is these kinds of small things that can really build momentum for the green movement. Companies can have such a great impact on this world’s eco system if they choose to make the right choice today. When it comes to going green, consumer consciousness is at an all time high in our country and in the world, especially after the recent Gulf Oil Disaster. Take a lesson from TCE by going green now, and exemplify true leadership in your industry, no matter the state of the economy.
