Easy Going Green

Eco-Effective Info for Retail Buyers of Furniture & Seating

Overwhelmed by your supplier's Green info? Afraid of being Greenwashed? Worried about the alphabet soup of CARB, LACEY, EPA...? Want to make an effort to improve your carbon thumbprint (or your suppliers') but feeling paralyzed and don't know where to begin? Or just feeling like you are in overdrive and need to do everything thing at once? I was a buyer too and been there before. The companies I have worked with, like Herman Miller and Milliken, expected world-class performance from me on my everyday duties, while I had to run up a steep learning curve on everything sustainable. Lucky for you, that began over 15 years ago, and my environmental interests and learning has never stopped.

This Blog is written by a former Material Buyer FOR Furniture Buyers. Making it EASY - Easy Going Green every step of the way - first by breaking down the regulations; second by consolidating all the green news and information into one place; and third by straight reviews of the "greenness" of furniture suppliers and products unhampered by the realities of ad publications. Additionally, whenever possible I will calculate for you the total impact, cost, or savings of "green" choices so you can make better long-term business decisions with ROI in mind.

Most importantly, this is your blog too, so the more feedback the better. Ask for a particular topic or inquire about a material, request a review of your product, marketing, company, contact me via email or submit via the comments below each blog post.

LEAP AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITION ---
Design Based on the 12 Easy Going Green Laws (or go all the way and make it your company mission, if you dare) – Like any good 12 step program, the first step is admitting you need help, so ask for mine. Easy Going Green will make it simple for you to plan, purchase, develop and market a line of products with a Green Mission or change your company so it includes a Green Mission. Now this is not any Green Mission, this one is targeted to save you money, make you money and make sure that when you win that business you will be able to stand behind your Mission. Why? Because, it will not be green-washing. It will be easy to explain and you and everyone in your company will not only get it, you will stand behind it! Too good to be true, maybe it is – but you should check the list of companies and products currently outperforming the S&P 500 in the form of “Green Funds” for validation. Each and every one has invested in at least one truly Green product line and it has not just saved their company, the company is now defying the stock market average in a recession.

Easy Going Green can also offer action-oriented management services for businesses focused on enhancing profitability through sustainable decision-making. Each consulting engagement requires custom solutions, but some services offered include:

~ Eco-Effective Products and Services – Enhancing corporate reputation and profit by helping companies select sustainable materials or create more sustainable products or services – advise design, development, manufacturing and quality control on creating certified sustainable products through the Easy Going Green Twelve Steps or use Easy Going Green to provide specific design direction based on targeted market research and customer feedback;

~ Environmental Compliance – Navigating your organization from the bottom up through a specific environmental initiative such as complying with state or federal regulations or a customer compliance program, including sales and corporate training sessions, FAQ development and customer outreach programs;

~ Green Offices/Green Buildings – Drawing upon 15 years of experience, implement green building features into your showrooms, facilities and offices to help enhance productivity, memory retention, reduce absenteeism and demonstrate your commitment to sustainable business practices to your customers, while cutting overhead costs and making critical energy savings;

~ Life-Cycle and Cradle-to-Cradle Analysis & Auditing – Advise you on making material, product and sustainable business choices that offer the best long-term prosperity for you; examining energy, quality control, corporate or office procedures and audit for key cost cutting measures and best practices.