In recent months, the demand for organic products may have dropped, but it should not be taken as a sign that the “go-green” movement has met its demise. Expect a transformation instead.
Whether you subscribe to the drive for all things organic and sustainable, are unabashedly opposed to it, or fall somewhere in between, there is no denying that the demand for environmentally friendly products and practices have left an indelible impact on the psyches of consumers and businesses alike. In response to green awareness, numerous habits were formed and products and technologies were developed that may prove to be a preemptive balm against today’s economic headaches and shaky consumer confidence. These days when people talk about “green,” more often then not they are referring to the color of the money.
With the typical “green consumer,” conservation and prevention reign supreme. (Think energy and water efficient appliances and appliance usage; think spending less on paper and plastics in favor of reusable products; think car pooling and natural health care products.) People have been looking to get the most out of their goods and resources, and if they happened to save themselves a little money in the process, then so be it.
But at a time when budgets are getting squeezed, conserving resources has taken on new meaning, and we can expect that this way of life will not go out of style any time soon.
In the business world, the drive to go green has been mostly expressed in operating more efficiently- purchasing energy efficient equipment, conserving resources, and even reusing waste. As profit margins shrink, those businesses that were committed to green ideals are probably pretty grateful for the resulting drop in expenses.
Moreover, the drive to go green spurred on the development and production of energy efficient products, renewable energy sources, organic fuel, and environmentally sound building design- all of which, not surprisingly, is currently experiencing an increase in demand.
We have the environmentalists to thank for planting the seeds…
Image credit: Greenpeace UK