Purchasing for Sustainability:
Young Consumers in the Green Marketplace
by Beth Ginsberg

“We need to make sustainable lifestyles fashionable and 'cool,' as young people might say. We also need to make it clear that there are real, personal benefits to living in harmony with the planet.”

--Klaus Toepfer, Director of UNEP, announcing the organization's Sustainable Consumption Program and Life-Cycle Initiative.

Got Stuff?

Got Stuff? Of course you do. We all do. What's more, most of us want more stuff- everything from new sneakers and clothes to cell phones, CDs, computers, and food. Some stuff is necessary, while some is luxury. Either way, when was the last time you thought about how a product was made? Where it came from? What materials were used to make it? How the workers were treated who made it?

These are important questions. To get to some answers, let's look at one product in the marketplace: the Preserve toothbrush. Manufactured by Recycline, a company based in Waltham , Massachusetts , the Preserve ® toothbrush is available at natural food stores like Whole Foods. To create its toothbrushes, Recycline (www.recycline.com) has partnered with Stonyfield Farm, the nation's third largest yogurt maker, to create toothbrush handles that are 100% recycled plastic, melted down from yogurt cups. The handles are then further recycled due to Recycline's innovative product take-back program: the company provides consumers with postage-paid recycling mailers so they can easily return their toothbrushes for further recycling like plastic lumber that's used to make picnic tables, decks, boardwalks and other durables.

This partnership shows how powerful sustainable thinking and innovation can be, as the yogurt cups enjoy a second life as a Preserve toothbrush, and a third as plastic lumber. Who knew the lifecycle of this product could be extended so far and that producers could take on such responsibility-- while making a profit !

Besides this partnership, Stonyfield has achieved success in reaching the mainstream global foods market. The world's #1 yogurt maker (French conglomerate Groupe Danone) purchased a 75% stake in Stonyfield, giving the company potential to bring similar recycling and product stewardship partnerships to international markets. And while Recycline is working on a local level, Danone itself is an international leader for environmental responsibility.

According to Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, an investment firm that analyzes companies' environmental, social, and strategic governance performance , “Danone's corporate identity and strength are rooted in a long-standing commitment to business success that's associated with respect for people and the environment.” Danone encourages its farmers to engage in land stewardship and sustainable agriculture, and also partners with the scientific community on health and nutrition programs, including food safety forums for consumers. The company's most impressive work with consumers and sustainable consumption, however, is with green labeling bodies. For example, although Danone does not view genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as unsafe, it does respect the consumer's right to choose between these ingredients. Talk about listening to the consumer! So far, in Europe , Danone has chosen GMO-free ingredients because of consumer concern. Clearly, the company's commitment to food safety enhanced its competitive position as more and more consumers are demanding food labeling.

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