Companies push for broader green initiatives

Major companies across the world are looking to go green, and businesses that already have reputations for sustainability are looking to take their environmentally friendly practices one step further.

American department store Kohl's, for example, is known for having solar panels on the roof of each location, converting sunlight into the energy that helps power its stores every day. Kohl's has taken other steps to help improve its sustainability, and was even awarded earlier this year for its green initiatives.

According to Kohl's senior manager of corporate sustainability June Fisher, the company is now extending its green initiatives to other facets of operations. For instance, Kohl's is now assessing its suppliers as well, based on whether they are able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or cut waste from the manufacturing process. The company hopes to reduce its entire environmental footprint, rather than just its own direct operations.

“When we started, we decided we were going to walk the talk and focus on our own operations to make sure that our house was in order before we went out to the supply chain,” Fisher said at the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council conference, as quoted by the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. “It just puts you in a much better spot in terms of credibility.”

Kohl's isn't the only company taking such action. Alterra Coffee Roasters is also looking to promote sustainability with its partners Kulaktik Cooperative (based out of southern Mexico) and Sassy Cow Creamery (another Wisconsin-based company). The goal is encouraging all business partners to put an emphasis on being environmentally friendly.

Achieving sustainability without losing profitability

Both customers and other business partners are now evaluating organizations based on their ability to be green. This puts the onus on companies to ensure they are meeting or exceeding these standards, or else they may miss out on business opportunities.

At the same time, organizations also need to maintain profitability. Many businesses have the misconception that they can only focus on going green or maintaining profitability, but realistically, there are myriad ways that both goals can be achieved through careful planning.

For example, Lean manufacturing can be used by industry professionals to reduce the amount of waste they produce. At the same time, the reduction of waste also leads to greener practices – if you have streamlined practices to use less wood while manufacturing chairs, you are also cutting back on the number of trees you need to cut down. For many businesses, Lean is the solution that allows them to become green.