Is doing the ‘green thing’ the right thing?

BY CLIFF DEANGELO
Special to The Wholesaler

While researching ideas for this article, I received information from an industry colleague that included a press release from a major plumbing products manufacturer, showcasing various green initiatives. Included were specific product descriptions, featuring the recycled content that was used in each component. Also described in detail was how the manufacturer had developed packaging using certified forest products and suppliers. Showcased in the press release were streamlined manufacturing techniques and explanations of carbon footprint reduction. The green initiatives didn’t stop there. The manufacturer had installed energy-efficient lighting fixtures in every plant and had made a commitment to reduce water consumption and improve water quality beyond government regulations.

The last three words struck like an arrow, right in my green heart. Why would this manufacturer exceed government regulations? I began to consider the impact of this statement. Obviously, the management of this company felt that becoming green was important to their customers and that doing so would ultimately separate them from the competition. It just makes sense (cents!) that reducing energy and water consumption in the manufacturing plants would eventually lower component cost and produce additional profits. Surely, government regulations had forced change that required them to reduce the amount of lead in their finished product, but they didn’t just stop there. They went beyond what was required, to do the right thing.

What I most enjoy when consulting with companies and institutions on green certifications or product recommendations is that, at some point during the process, management realizes that going green simply is the right thing to do. They may have been nudged down the green road by government regulations, outrageous utility costs or customer demand for green products, but somewhere during this process the Green Grinch looks at this green revolution in a whole new way. Suddenly they begin to share stories of how much money they saved and how wasteful they had become. They begin to look for additional areas where they can do the right thing and eventually become advocators of green change.

As a young boy growing up in New York State, enjoying fishing on the Niagara River and Lake Erie in the early 70s, I remember skeptics claiming that the water would never again be clean due to constant pollution from the area’s chemical and steel industries. I recall watching people throw garbage out car windows on the New York State Thruway. But I also remember the great change that came as people realized that pollution wasn’t the government’s or someone else’s responsibility and that true change could only come from taking personal responsibility. This was their Seminal Green Moment. And this is what I believe occurs when a company realizes that they’ve exceeded government regulations and have moved on to do the right thing.

Perhaps I’m just living in a dream world, believing that corporate America cares enough to think past the bottom line. But I’ve seen with my own eyes how a company can go beyond the requirements to become LEED-certified by doing more than what was regulated. A company CEO boasted about sticking his hands in the garbage while doing a waste audit in order to find out how to reduce consumption and what could be done to save money and jobs. His determination was obvious as he explained to me how the culture of his company had changed from one that did not emphasize reducing consumption to one where his employees were now excited about making those positive changes. They went beyond the requirements for certification and had begun to do the right thing.

I recently came across the website of a company in England that offers an incredible new green idea. They begin by charging corporations a small, per-employee fee to license software that allows their employees to document energy savings. For example, if an employee doesn’t print a report and instead sends it electronically, or if an employee finds an alternative to taking an extra trip to call on a customer, they document these “savings” in the software package. The software then allocates a small percentage of the savings to be donated to a charity of the employee’s choice.

The software maintains a scorecard that is accessible to every employee. A natural competition is then formed between employees and departments to see who can raise the most dollars as an individual or as a team. It’s a win-win situation for all parties. The company encourages its employees to become stewards of the workplace, and, in so doing, ultimately saves money. Employees save the company money and are rewarded by earning dollars for the charities they choose and care about. This is going beyond regulation and doing the right thing.

As we look at increased regulations facing our industry, such as wet surface calculations for lead in brass content or the blending of bio fuel in heating oil, we should look not only to meeting government regulations but also to doing the right thing. We need to provide product with zero lead content. We need to manufacture appliances that can handle all kinds of biodiesel fuels. We need to install energy efficient lighting in our warehouses and showrooms. We need to take a chance on non-traditional innovative green technologies and help bring them to the market. We need to dedicate time, manpower and dollars to do the right thing when it comes to moving toward a more sustainable world.

The debate over predictions for global warming and whether or not we have sufficient traditional fuel sources to last for the next 100 years is not over. What truly matters is that we have a responsibility to do the right thing in everything that we do. My hope is that you choose to do the right thing and go beyond regulations. I applaud those companies that have already had that seminal moment and have moved on to becoming leaders and examples in our industry.

I’d like to hear your stories of your Seminal Green Moment. When did you realize that you had to go beyond the regulations and start moving toward doing the right thing? How did you enlist help from your company or your employees? What impact did it have on your customers and how did you communicate that to them? The purpose of this magazine is to provide opportunities to learn from one another. And our purpose is to have the courage to do the right thing.

Cliff D’Angelo is a LEED AP and a 20-year veteran of the plumbing products manufacturing and wholesale industries in sales and sales management, with both the Kohler Companies and Ferguson Enterprises. He is currently principal owner of GREENCLIF LLC, providing both LEED and sales consulting services. Additionally, he is on the forefront of introducing an innovative new solar thermal dehumidification technology to the market. Email greencliff@netbusiness.com.