Not a single day has gone by in the last eighteen months when I did not struggle to come up with the words to describe the current global movement to address humanity’s biggest concerns, both social and environmental. The main problem is that the green business sector has not been successful at setting widely accepted definitions and standards for what it actually means to be “green,” “eco,” or “sustainable.” This has led to debate and controversy as governments, companies, organizations and individuals try to figure out what industry practices are truly sustainable.

What criteria determines the eco-cred of a company? What claims can be made? How can conscious buyers know what to look for and who to trust when making everyday purchases?

I started Eco Gift in 2007, and we spend the better part of each year deciding which companies belong at our sustainable gift show. We have our own internal debates which can get fairly passionate. There are still many gray areas but I personally focus on three specific ones.

Answering To The Triple Bottom Line

It all begins with attitude. A company’s mindset and culture are derived from the attitudes of its leaders. Actually, the extent to which a company’s leaders can call themselves leaders is directly proportional to their ability to recognize, see and hear all stakeholders in a company. This includes employees, independent contractors, stockholders, vendors, customers and anyone else who comes into contact with the company or its products. Of course, we cannot exclude Planet Earth from this list.

I have spoken with several executives in regards to the Green Movement, and its role as one of the great marketing opportunities of our time. Here is a quote that generally expresses their attitude: “Hey, let’s get into this green thing. Great for marketing. Great for our bottom line.” One might feel negatively about such an attitude, but it’s understandable. These people are running companies and their directive is to have that company succeed. This “green thing” might help them to do so. The problem with this attitude is that it perpetuates a manner of doing business based solely on financial outcome. Their compass is set to “succeed financially by adding to the bottom line.”

This old school thinking does not take into account the principle of Triple Bottom Line, which adds environmental and social responsibilities to the obvious financial ones that a company must manage. In this brave new green world, a more conscious and authentic attitude takes into consideration the entire impact of a company’s activities on people and the planet, while at the same time creating profit. If you want to call yourself a green company, first check the attitude of your leaders and if you are a leader-check yourself.

Top 11 Essential Practices Of A Green Company

1. Common Mission
   All employees should know the company’s mission and environmental policy.
2. Philanthropy
   A percentage of the company’s profits is donated to social profit organizations working directly to make the world a better place.
3. Renewable Energy
   A green company buys renewable energy (such as wind, solar, or small hydroelectric) from the electric company whenever possible, and uses CFL’s, LED’s, and energy efficient office equipment.
4. Sustainable Materials
   All products made by an eco-oriented company must be crafted from the most environmentally sound and non-toxic materials available.
5. Travel Only When Necessary
   Members of the company telecommute whenever possible instead of flying and driving.
6. Buy Only When Necessary
   The company buys used goods whenever possible, only buys what’s truly needed, and always buys the most ecologically responsible items possible.
7. Green Commuter Policy
   The company encourages carpooling, biking to work, and the use of public transit through education and incentives.
8. Recycling
   A green company reduces waste at every turn and recycles all items possible, including electronics, appliances, phones, and batteries.
9. Good Food
   The company provides at least one organic vegetarian meal per week. This pays for itself in a dozen tangible ways.
10. Good Water
    Give up bottled water for good! Any eco-conscious company must provide clean filtered water for all employees.
11. Reusables
    No more paper and plastic! The company provides canvas bags of varying sizes available to anyone shopping on behalf of the company, as well as water glasses, coffee mugs, and carriers for beverage runs.

7 Deadly Sins Every Company Should Avoid

1. Harming People
   If your products or their production are known to be harmful to people, it’s time for a quick about face.
2. Harming The Planet
   If your company is clearly harming the planet, then immediately assess how that’s happening and systematically transition to a better means of doing business.
3. Being A Stranger To Your Own Business
   If you are not aware of your company’s practices and products, you cannot effectively gauge the effect you have on the world at large. Green companies are run by people who make it their business to know anything and everything about their business.
4. Hiding The Past
   A truly green company own its past, tries to repair any damage it’s done, and does everything it can to improve its practices.
5. Hypocrisy At The Top
   Leaders must walk their company’s talk or pay the price. Being a signpost is not enough. The leaders must live the solutions.
6. Toxic Takeout
   The styrofoam packaging debacle continues in our country. If you order food for the office, make sure to source food from your favorite local restaurants with greener packaging. Wheatware and World Centric are both companies that offer biodegradable alternatives. The ideal choice is to get everybody out of the office for an hour a day to enjoy some relaxing time together over healthy food.
7. Useless Gifts
   Giving over-the-top, useless gifts to employees is wasteful and sends the wrong message. Whether it’s another desk chachka or a big shiny Hummer, make sure gifts for a job well done are useful and have meaning for the recipient.

Whether you are the founding CEO of a company or the newest intern, remember this-no one is perfect. It is the commitment to moving in the right direction that counts, and each member of an organization is part of that navigation.

Eco Business & Conscious Capitalism Zymposium:  What is an eco-Company?

I want to thank Julian and the participants of this Zymposium for inviting me to contribute a few words about Eco Business and Conscious Capitalism.  I am wholly a student of the 4 folks who have written this week and thanks to their sharing I have learned quite a bit and am very grateful for that.

I am writing from San Diego where I am at The Social Venture Network Fall Conference.  I just left the final Q&A of the evening with Priya Haji of World of Good and Chris Van Dyke of Nau.  In the world of Eco-Commerce, these folks are serious heavyweights who are walking their talk by applying progressive ideas to business on a daily basis.  Their passion is palpable.  So inspiring!

These past 6 months I have put most of my energies into creating a new business called the Eco Gift Expo.  The response we have had has been overwhelming. This is significant because it indicates that we are now living in a time where there is enough of a demand to warrant a large-scale holiday gift show for eco-conscious consumers.  This also means that manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and other service providers are stepping up to supply this increasing demand for consciously produced goods.  A great indication of a positive shift.

The 3 members of our sales team speak with about 20-30 eco-conscious companies daily to learn about them, tell them about us and see if they would make a good fit in our expo.  One theme in particular keeps popping up. What is an eco gift and what are the criteria for entry?
This has provoked some heated debate in our office and has caused me to examine my beliefs.  Consider the following story...

“A woman calls me on the phone to get information about the Eco Gift Expo.  She is super cool, positive.  It feels good to speak with her and I am truly connecting with what she is saying.  She is jazzed about our event, wants to have a booth there, but something is in the way.  Her tone  changes.  "You know, I really want to be there, but I am just not ECO enough," she says.  I say, "Tell me about your company and where you are at."  It turns out that this woman is extremely conscious about sourcing the metals she uses to create her jewelry line, but whereas she is able to get recycled gold and silver, she is unable to purchase recycled base metals at this point in the development of the metal industry.  She concludes that she cannot attend our expo because she cannot, in good faith, offer a fully eco product.  Interesting!  Her principal fear, of course, is that a small band of eco-warriors will find out about her "impurity" and attack her booth at the expo screaming, "Kill the heretic!", just before burning her at the stake.  This brings up some important questions that I am going to be responsible for answering.  Why not put it right out there to the Zaadz community to get your opinions on the topic.  Here is the main question:  If you were producing an event called The Eco Gift Expo, and you had to set criteria for companies and the gifts they sell to be allowed in your event, what would your criteria be?
For some, this might be easy to answer.  I thought it was pretty straightforward until I started to hear stories like the one from this woman.
She gives money to charity, she is an expert host covering environmental topics and she does everything she can to use recycled materials in her work.  Should I exclude her company, which  produces incredibly beautiful jewelry with positive messages inscribed on the stones, because she works in an industry where it is currently impossible for her to be 100% eco?  Pondering this, I look down at my leather shoes pressing down the accelerator in my Subaru Outback and I frown at the realization - Lord have mercy, I am not 100% eco either.  I start to think of my hardest core eco-friends.  One guy simply does not ride in gas-powered vehicles.  Won't even get in one.  Pretty hard core I think.  Then I remember he wears all kind of leather too and in that way he supports the cattle industry which is responsible for clear-cutting forests and turning them into grazing land, etc, etc.  Eventually I come to the realization that no one is 100% Eco.  So what standards am I trying to set with the Eco Gift Expo?  Who is in?  Who is out?  Where is that fine line to be drawn?  Perhaps I will be burned at the stake, but not without a good fight anyway.... Here goes:  An eco-conscious company creates products and services that add true value to people's lives by promoting health, wellness and peace without compromising the wellness of the Earth in its production.  Now that last part is really tricky.

I feel strongly about being inclusive.  I want to support the companies that are moving in the right direction.  They may not be 100% organic, but their products enhance our lives.

LuLuLemon is such a company.  I love these guys because of their messaging and the fact that their products encourage yoga and athletics.  They do have a growing organic line, but the fact is they are far from 100% organic. I support them, nonetheless, and think they are a great company.  Yes, but are they an eco-company?  Should they be in the show?

Another interesting situation has to do with one of our beneficiaries, Global Green USA.  When we went to sign our agreement with them they made it clear that if we partnered with other companies that were contributing to the global warming problem (like ALL automobile companies that produce gas-powered cars) they would have to break with us immediately.  I asked about Toyota as an example of a car company moving in the right direction.  And they responded by telling me that Toyota, GM and 7 others were  suing the State of California to block greenhouse gas regulation.  What do I do with that?  I am bummed to hear about this and, at the same time, I want to support the move toward better automotive technology, a virtue that Toyota has demonstrated.  Nothing is black and white! 

My teacher, Guru Prem, often reminds me that if one wants to change the world, one must only change oneself and the world is therefore automatically changed.  In the final analysis, all change takes place at the level of the individual first and then can be seen as a shift at the level of the collective.  If we are able to get people to change the way they shop, we will change the world indeed.

In Love and Gratitude,

Tommy Rosen

The Zymposium has begin, and Siona's piece: meditation on conscious capitalism is up!

I am excited to announce my participation in Julian Walker's Zymposium 3 on Eco Business & Conscious Capitalism!

This is a 6 day online symposium featuring blog presentations from Siona van Dijk from Gaiam, Brian Johnson the founder of Zaadz, Jeff Klein from Flow, Christiana Wyly from Green Mountain Energy and prominent blogger/Zaadz team wizard C4 Chaos.....

I am extraordinarily grateful to be in such good company and this should be an amazing experience all around.

See here for more details and the weeks schedule - it starts Monday October 8 at 9 a.m.!

In other news, we sent out the press release for the Eco Gift Expo on Friday and the response has been HUGE - click here to see what a Google search is turning up as of 11:30 this morning.

 All great businesses, it has been said, solve some problem that people have.  If one wants to create a successful business, one need only begin by seeking out a problem that needs solving.  The bigger the problem and the more painful its manifestation, the more successful the company will be that solves it. 

I have launched a new business venture known as Eco Gift Expo to address the inconveniences, difficult emotions and terrible waste associated with the holidays and holiday gift shopping.  The proposition is simple - What if you could get all of your holiday shopping done on one day under one roof where everything you bought would add value to someone's life and was manufactured by companies that are part of the solution to our environmental and social challenges?  What if the event had an eco gift-wrapping station? What if there was an organic food court, performers, wandering minstrels and an all-around festive atmosphere?  What if a considerable amount of money was donated to charities - one global and one local?  

Companies are excited to get in front of so many people who have come specifically to shop with eco-conscious companies like theirs.  Gift shoppers are relieved and exalted to have a one-stop eco-shop solution to the holiday mayhem.

Eco Gift Expo will take place at The Santa Monica Civic Center on December 15th and 16th, 2007.  We are expecting 150 Eco-Conscious companies and 15,000 holiday shoppers.

We have thus far struck very powerful marketing relationships and sold about 30 booths in under 2 weeks.  Our website is up and folks are signing up for our newsletter, The Eco Express,  the first edition of which goes out in September.  We are about to run a major Eco-Give-A-Way contest to attract people to sign up for our newsletter and I will write soon about that.

In 2008 we will be expanding our concept to at least 5 markets with the intention of having an Eco Gift Expo in every major city that would support such an event.  Throughout the rest of each year, we will be providing sales and marketing services to conscious companies.

I will write each week about the experiences - joys and challenges - that I am going through producing this event.  If I can be of service to anyone who comes across this blog, please reach out to me and let me know what is up and how you are doing.

May your lives be filled with blessings each day,

Tommy Rosen