Basics of Personal Green Procurement

Jun 29, 2010 11:36 AM ET

Taiga Company Blog

The business world is always looking for new and innovative ways to improve its supply chain management processes.  Leading companies are reaping the benefits from applying sustainability concepts to the acquisition of their goods and services.  As an individual seeking a more sustainable lifestyle, what can we learn from these corporate purchasing efforts? 

To begin, a primary aspect of pursuing a personal sustainability plan is the recognition that every action is part of a larger whole.  The purchases you make not only affect you and your family, but they also affect an entire supply chain that brought that item to market.
 
As we have discussed in other posts, consumers are playing a major role in defining the alternative product options and reshaping the direction of many industries.  As sustainability consultants, we see some common best practices in responsible personal purchasing:

  • Research before you buy.

  • Become familiar with eco-labels.

  • Buy local and organic.

  • Use recycled content products everywhere you can.

  • Buy Fair Trade.

  • Consider the source when you make a purchase.

  • Consider buying "Pre-Owned" goods or remanufactured products whenever possible.

  • Eliminate disposable items

  • Consider the packaging of the item

  • Consider the eventual disposal of the item

  • Buy Cradle-To-Cradle whenever possible.

As John Ehrenfeld, Executive Director of the International Society for Industrial Ecology and former Director of the MIT Program on Technology, Business, and Environment says: “Reducing unsustainability (greening) is not the same as creating sustainability.” Click here to continue reading.

 Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".



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