Taking Advantage?

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Member Posted by Tracy Gunn View on LinkedIn	Wednesday 24 June 2009 3:50:09 pm Green issues are interesting, I'm quite sceptical about them, obviously they can have great benefits, but I'm not convinced the intentions are always honourable. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. But why? Is it seriously to make a difference to the world and humankind or is it just to make a quick buck? It's the buzz word of the moment, everyone is buying into it but I can't help but feel that it's all just playing to what the consumer thinks they want and that people don't really care that much. It's just another way to improve the bank balance. The humble carrier bag. I'm sure everyone agrees that we need ways to reduce their usage, but supermarkets charging 5p for them, isn't that them 'being seen to be green' but actually just taking advantage of the situation whilst at the same time upping profits. It would be nice to see someone win this competition who genuinely has a passion to make a difference, not for themselves, but for everyone. Alert moderator
Entrant Posted by cemil tasdemir	Friday 26 June 2009 8:56:39 pm Hello Tracy, I would like to reply to your topic by saying that i agree. Why has everything have to be with a profite? Well the human kinds is so today that it doesn't do anything for free. But as you pointed out, by charging for a carrier bag you do not reduce the usage and you do not reduce the impact on the enviorment. Instead of the charge, it would be ok to have people bring a kind of basket or box that is for multiple use. I would dare to say that it would be more ergonomic for placement and for carriying. As i have had many times a carrier bag is mostly shredded. A few big markets in my country have started with linnen carrier bags. They can be used multiple times and they dont get shredeed that easy. Alert moderator
Entrant Posted by Rob Marchant View on LinkedIn	Tuesday 07 July 2009 7:00:08 pm Tracey, I think you're right that big companies are bandwagon-jumping because they feel obliged to. But...shouldn't we be glad about that? After all, it's probably unrealistic to expect them to suddenly come over all altruistic, so making them feel obliged to act seems like a good way forward. Anyway, at the other end of the scale I'm sure there are a few individual entrepreneurs who are jumping the bandwagon. However, I can't believe that any of them are likely to be successful - to succeed you certainly need passion. People are not stupid, they will see you for what you are - a fake. Alert moderator
Member Posted by Muthomi Kiragu	Tuesday 07 July 2009 9:57:03 pm Hello Tracy, Cemil and Rob Hope you are all well just read through your postings and the it kinda pulled me into joining the discussion. When discussing retail stores charging for bagging I think to some great degree I believe the people who started it were taken to the opinion that the most cost effective way to reduce the amount of non-biodigradable plastics they use was to encourage the customer to use an alternative means of carrying their items. As you said with the all green revolution on its way the cost of things that are green has shot up, making it financial impractical for the companies to purchase the bags and with law/social proposals and pressure on businesses they need to show they are trying to minimise this. In regards to being profitable from being green or using green incentives lets be honest profitability is what ensures continuity and growth of the company, true their are alot of people out there looking to make a profit using evironmental protection or sustainability as their leverage to gain market share or profit these we should not be worried about its for a good course. To explain a bit better, be it our passions are for the environment or in the accumilation of wealth, if it is a good idea that can be sustained as a business while offering an excellent product or service and also benefiting the environment then we the customers will readily judge it and deem if it will last, for I believe there have been as many businesses driven by the passion for the environment that have gone bust as there have been business in the same segment driven by profit alone. Alert moderator
Editor Posted by Bonnie Flaws Moderated by: Administrator User	Wednesday 08 July 2009 2:46:56 pm In the case of plastic bags - surely the best way to minimise environmental damage from these nasties, apart from recycling them, is simply to make them illegal? As long as they are available, there is little incentive for us to bring along a re-useable alternative when we go shopping. As far as charging goes, at the end of the day while we probably resent paying for plastic bags, it's affordable. And so we simply pay for them rather than changing our habits. Alert moderator
Entrant Posted by Rob Marchant View on LinkedIn	Friday 10 July 2009 2:33:25 pm I know this is a bit tangential to the discussion, but I just found this on YouTube, it's about passion. It's the brilliant, inspiring and often hilarious Isabel Allende speaking to a TED conference. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1...nde.html&feature=player_embedded Alert moderator

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Posted by Tracy Gunn

View on LinkedIn

Wednesday 24 June 2009 3:50:09 pm

Green issues are interesting, I'm quite sceptical about them, obviously they can have great benefits, but I'm not convinced the intentions are always honourable.

Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. But why? Is it seriously to make a difference to the world and humankind or is it just to make a quick buck? It's the buzz word of the moment, everyone is buying into it but I can't help but feel that it's all just playing to what the consumer thinks they want and that people don't really care that much. It's just another way to improve the bank balance.

The humble carrier bag. I'm sure everyone agrees that we need ways to reduce their usage, but supermarkets charging 5p for them, isn't that them 'being seen to be green' but actually just taking advantage of the situation whilst at the same time upping profits.

It would be nice to see someone win this competition who genuinely has a passion to make a difference, not for themselves, but for everyone.

Entrant

Posted by cemil tasdemir

Friday 26 June 2009 8:56:39 pm

Hello Tracy, I would like to reply to your topic by saying that i agree. Why has everything have to be with a profite? Well the human kinds is so today that it doesn't do anything for free. But as you pointed out, by charging for a carrier bag you do not reduce the usage and you do not reduce the impact on the enviorment. Instead of the charge, it would be ok to have people bring a kind of basket or box that is for multiple use. I would dare to say that it would be more ergonomic for placement and for carriying. As i have had many times a carrier bag is mostly shredded.

A few big markets in my country have started with linnen carrier bags. They can be used multiple times and they dont get shredeed that easy.

Entrant

Posted by Rob Marchant

View on LinkedIn

Tuesday 07 July 2009 7:00:08 pm

Tracey, I think you're right that big companies are bandwagon-jumping because they feel obliged to. But...shouldn't we be glad about that? After all, it's probably unrealistic to expect them to suddenly come over all altruistic, so making them feel obliged to act seems like a good way forward.

Anyway, at the other end of the scale I'm sure there are a few individual entrepreneurs who are jumping the bandwagon. However, I can't believe that any of them are likely to be successful - to succeed you certainly need passion. People are not stupid, they will see you for what you are - a fake.

Member

Posted by Muthomi Kiragu

Tuesday 07 July 2009 9:57:03 pm

Hello Tracy, Cemil and Rob
Hope you are all well just read through your postings and the it kinda pulled me into joining the discussion.
When discussing retail stores charging for bagging I think to some great degree I believe the people who started it were taken to the opinion that the most cost effective way to reduce the amount of non-biodigradable plastics they use was to encourage the customer to use an alternative means of carrying their items. As you said with the all green revolution on its way the cost of things that are green has shot up, making it financial impractical for the companies to purchase the bags and with law/social proposals and pressure on businesses they need to show they are trying to minimise this.

In regards to being profitable from being green or using green incentives lets be honest profitability is what ensures continuity and growth of the company, true their are alot of people out there looking to make a profit using evironmental protection or sustainability as their leverage to gain market share or profit these we should not be worried about its for a good course. To explain a bit better, be it our passions are for the environment or in the accumilation of wealth, if it is a good idea that can be sustained as a business while offering an excellent product or service and also benefiting the environment then we the customers will readily judge it and deem if it will last, for I believe there have been as many businesses driven by the passion for the environment that have gone bust as there have been business in the same segment driven by profit alone.

Editor

Posted by Bonnie Flaws

Moderated by: Administrator User

Wednesday 08 July 2009 2:46:56 pm

In the case of plastic bags - surely the best way to minimise environmental damage from these nasties, apart from recycling them, is simply to make them illegal? As long as they are available, there is little incentive for us to bring along a re-useable alternative when we go shopping. As far as charging goes, at the end of the day while we probably resent paying for plastic bags, it's affordable. And so we simply pay for them rather than changing our habits.

Entrant

Posted by Rob Marchant

View on LinkedIn

Friday 10 July 2009 2:33:25 pm

I know this is a bit tangential to the discussion, but I just found this on YouTube, it's about passion. It's the brilliant, inspiring and often hilarious Isabel Allende speaking to a TED conference. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1...nde.html&feature=player_embedded

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