I'm tired of hearing all the complaints about greenwashing.
Our focus should be on penalising the polluters, but big businesses have distracted consumers from this issue.
Did you know that when plastic was invented in the 50s, many US states required plastic manufacturers to take responsibility for their waste? However, savvy lobbyists ensured this rule disappeared. How many plastic products do you see on the shelf that will end up as waste on our planet for millions of years? Think about brands like Pink pegs, Chux, Colgate to call out a few brands. Do they care about the spewing rubbish they leave on the planet. Of course not. Yes I know, quite direct today, but we just need people to really focus on the key issue and not be distracted.
We manufacture eco-friendly, innovative products that leave no waste on our planet. I take this very seriously and every decision we make has this at the heart of it. We don't always get it right and sometimes there is no technology available that is eco friendly. But we try are hardest.
I've realized that the increasing bureaucratic red tape surrounding risk that a product might be greenwashing the public is becoming questionable. Who's really in control, and why? For instance, one of our larger retailers wouldn't allow us to label our sustainable dishcloths as compostable. Despite holding an international certificate validating the compostability of our product, they demanded a costly NZ certificate. This is absurd and unfair. Do all those mircrofesh dishcloth brands made from plastic have to provide expensive certificates saying 'YES WE ARE POLLUTING THE WORLD'. Joking. But there is simply no cost to them for putting a product in the market. Shouldn't we be charging the polluters instead? Let's refocus our efforts on penalising plastic product producers. Come on people lets put the right lens on the issue. That should be our first step, rather than excessively regulating eco-businesses. It's easy to identify the culprits—just look at the plastic products on the shelves.
I have been thinking about being a supermarket CEO and implementing a rule that requires suppliers using plastic to contribute 10% per unit to a charity dedicated to helping our planet. The 10% would be collected by the supermarket to ensure it is collected. By hitting the polluters in their pockets, we would then see a real change in the product offerings on retail shelves. Focusing attention on the polluters might even allow greater shelf space for innovative smaller brands and better prices for true eco lines.
What can you do right now? Well make your money talk. What you spend your money on at the supermarkets or anywhere that you spend your dollars makes a stand for what you believe in..
Thanks for listening to my ramble again. A little direct today. LOL
Anna Bordignon