Responsibility for the quality of air and water, the preservation of habitat and resource availability for future generations has not always been factored into a product offering. This is changing. To have a brand that is recognized as “green” has become a holy grail for marketers and designers alike.
Given the increasing sophistication purchasing professionals and consumers, what makes a product “green”? The US Federal Trade Commission has set certain parameters. International standards and advocacy groups set certain de facto requirements. The measurement tool most respected is life cycle assessment.
Specific criteria are also available for cosmetics, electronic products, healthcare, jewelry, forestry products, buildings, food, beverage and other sectors. Implementing the changes needed to “green” a product is termed “product stewardship.”
Beth Kujan, a resident of Morristown, has been measuring product stewardship attributes for eight years. She is at the vanguard identifying risk and opportunity in products aimed at a conscientious market.
Evidence of marketplace change to favor responsible product stewardship:
- Forward-thinking businesses are including environmental attributes into their purchasing decisions.
- Legislators are proposing regulations that restrict specific ingredients or require auditable reporting.
- Institutional investors have rated companies for the environmental stewardship of their operations for ten years. But now investor ratings incorporate information about product offerings.
- Advocacy groups are rating products both for toxicity over their lifetime and for eco-efficiency.
- Government agencies are requiring public disclosure of material information.
An experienced product steward can rapidly review your design, materials, product goals, packaging and competitive claims to summarize strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and anticipated liabilities.
‘Open for Business,’ a feature of the Morris County Career Network and MorristownGreen.com, periodically showcases talented Morristown-area professionals available for new opportunities.
Beth Kujan can be reached at ekujan@ccm.edu or www.linkedin.com/in/bethkujan.
