Green Purchasing
Green purchasing, or buying goods and services in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way, is becoming increasingly important for both governments and businesses to practice and promote. Not only does it help to minimize a company or organization’s ecological impact and increase its reputation, it can also reduce costs and improve their operations’ efficiency.
Green purchasing involves choosing goods and services from suppliers who not only adhere to the law and national guidelines but can also demonstrate their commitment to minimizing the impact of their products, services and processes on the environment, making sure that all emit minimal levels of pollution and waste. When sourcing suppliers, questions can include assessing their production processes and transportation methods, waste management, energy use and environmental policies.
One of the most influential drivers of green purchasing is understanding that the goods and services organizations purchase are extensions of themselves. As such, it is important to ensure that their suppliers’ values and beliefs align with an organizations’ own eco-friendly stance.
Switching to green purchasing can be in direct response to environmental disasters and other public demonstrations of environmental unrest. Businesses are encouraged to act as a catalyst of change – to not just buy sustainable, but actively seek out suppliers who stand behind their sustainability vision. This sets a chain reaction within global supply networks that encourages supplier compliance, to mitigate their impact and enforce cost efficiency.
By engaging both suppliers and customers in the process, it encourages them to choose environment-friendly products, services and processes. It also allows business organizations to identify suppliers that practice sustainable operations and create the internet of value, a chain of supply and demand where suppliers are encouraged to uphold eco-friendly practices.
When endorsed by both governments and businesses, green purchasing helps to not only reduce ecological damage, but create a culture of sustainability, encouraging organizations to purchase from local suppliers wherever possible, as what is better for the environment is also more often better for the business.
In conclusion, green purchasing is becoming an increasingly important initiative for organizations, both in terms of innovation, reputation and cost savings. By orchestrating their own corporate sustainability and encouraging suppliers and customers to do the same, organizations can diminish their ecological impact, secure a reputation as eco-friendly, recognize cost efficiencies and help encourage a culture of sustainability.
