Why Go Green?
How You Know It's Green | Why Go Green? | Does Green Cost More? | Green Glossary
Going green benefits individuals, businesses, communities, and the planet.
Benefits to the people, the planet, and the community
Using sustainable products benefits us in myriad ways.
- Protects our health and that of our children and future generations
- Reduces greenhouse gases, helping mitigate our effect on the climate crisis
- Saves forests and trees
- Conserves other natural resources, such as water
- Encourages recycling
- Keeps products out of landfills
- Reduces waste
- Creates green business jobs
Benefits to businesses
- According to a manager at Sustainable Community Enterprises, going green results in improved staff morale, higher retention, and improved public perception of business practices. The world's top corporations know this, and that's why giants like Wal Mart have gone green. If they don't, they'll lose the competitive advantage and get left in the dust.
- Customers can actually save money for their companies.
- Hundreds of GSB's green products are actually less expensive than their non-green equivalents – for example, scissors with recycled plastic handles and beverage cups made from corn starch. GSB will always bring green alternatives to your attention.
- Some products, such as refillable, recyclable pens, can save you money because you only have to purchase refills – plus you save pens from the landfill.
- Other products, such as biodegradable cleaners, are less expensive than comparable non-green products.
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs can save you up to 40% in energy costs.
- In GSB’s printing department there is usually no added expense to use recycled paper, and almost all of our printing is done using inks made from soy and other vegetables products instead of traditional petroleum based ink.
- In the long run, green products may save money because theyre more durable and have other cost-saving features. See "Does Green Cost More?"
Hidden costs and savings
Environmentally friendly products can not only save us dollars and resources directly, but also indirectly. For example, we subsidize the forest industry to cut down trees; if chlorine bleach contaminates our water supply, taxpayers – both corporate and individual – end up paying in both dollars and their health. A higher price tag on a green product pales when compared to the cost to human health and habitat. In other words, it's like comparing apples and oranges.
