When it Comes to Green, How Much Does Intent matter?

• Posted by
• On September 17, 2008

Over the weekend, I found myself in the cereal aisle at the grocery. It had been a while since I’d been shopping, so when I picked up a box of cereal, its difference in width was immediately noticeable. It had thinned by half an inch or so—but the price was the same, if not a bit higher.

Shrinking packaging to hide a price increase (rather than simply raising prices) is nothing new, and it’s not confined to the cereal aisle. As a recent CNN story pointed out, everything from potato chips and ice cream to orange juice and paper towels has been downsized as commodity prices rise.

Although it’s deceptive, it occurred to me that this strategy might have an inadvertent benefit—less packaging means less waste ending up in the landfill. (Although I suppose you could argue it just as easily creates more waste, as people use up their peanut butter or tuna fish more quickly, prompting them to replenish their pantry more frequently.)

Anyway, that got me wondering about the importance of intent, particularly when it comes to green behavior.

Do we care whether a company means to improve its environmental performance? Or is it enough that it simply does as a byproduct of its actions?

Similarly, how important is it as consumers that we consciously make an environmentally sustainable choice? Does having a clear motivation somehow count for more?

My gut reaction was yes, of course. Acting deliberately suggests a stronger and more consistent commitment to being green. It increases the likelihood that sustainability is part of a larger effort, with the potential for greater cumulative impact. And it makes sustainability more likely to be measured and valued, which is key to its legitimacy and staying power.

Then again, all of that can seem like additional work or expense, and perhaps even a burden. If a measure of success is when sustainability becomes effectively invisible, woven throughout how businesses operate and consumers act, then perhaps intent doesn’t count for as much as I initially thought. Businesses need to differentiate themselves and make a profit. People are looking for ways to meet their needs and satisfy their desires. Ultimately, green has to be a means supporting those ends, rather than an end in and of itself.

Given all the noise around greenwashing, it seems much of the emphasis now is parsing intent—i.e., is a company being sincere and accurate in its sustainability claims? Or is it merely looking to capitalize on a market trend? It’s important to understand the distinction, but I think having such focus may risk undervaluing or even overlooking green contributions that aren’t necessarily being touted or are even intentional. They’re part of the story, too—and could, in some instances, be evidence that sustainability is shifting from shiny new thing to well-oiled cog.

Christian works for AHA!, a communications firm with expertise in writing located in Vancouver, Wash., just across the Columbia River from Portland. Visit Shiny Green Button, his blog on communications, brands and sustainability.

• Tags: csr, communications, sustainability

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