Practical Green Merchandising

(This piece originally appeared in the April 2011 issues of Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest.)

Choosing winning product lines and getting them into the hands of customers is an art that, when practiced well, makes good merchants great.  The last few years, there’s been a rush by manufacturers to get their green innovations to market.  Many are going to be clear winners and will make a difference in transforming the built environment.  Unfortunately, along with the rush has been the slapdash - products presented as earning LEED credits, or being less toxic, or ecologically benign, when they are not.  Whether by deliberate deception or honest mistake, green washing has created confusion and skepticism in the market. 

It’s not so easy to pick green winners, but there are practical steps that merchandisers can take to reliably evaluate the green-worthiness of any product.  In general, the goal is to identify merchandise that meets certain criteria, both yours and your customers’.  There are a variety of product certifications and, of course, LEED and other green building rating systems provide relatively clear criteria.  But there is no master green products list to go by, and no matter how comprehensive, certifications and building rating systems are not going to cover all the product categories stocked in most stores and yards. 

But if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and “green it yourself”, there’s another way to look at whether the merchandise you choose to sell is green worthy.  Start by asking:  Does it harm or benefit the environment? Does it pose health risks or promote healthy lifestyles?  Are communities positively or negatively affected in its manufacture?  Does it work?  Will it sell?  These questions should take in the entire lifecycle of the product, which includes looking at the impacts relating to raw materials, manufacturing process, distribution, use and disposal. 

The broad categories addressing human health and safety, ecological safety, and social responsibility provide the background for more specific product criteria and attributes – a partial list:

• Energy – products that conserve energy, produce renewable energy or are made from renewable energy sources. 
  
  
• Water – products that conserve water usage, especially the use of fresh, potable water, also product alternatives that don’t pollute water sources or aquatic eco-systems.
  
  
• Toxic chemicals – products that are made with non-toxic or least toxic, low risk chemicals and other components.
  
  
• Healthy and sustainable practices – products that contribute to healthy and sustainable practices, such as rainwater harvesting, composting, etc.
  
  

The evaluation process starts with the manufacturer who should provide credible product information, preferably with third-party documentation supporting their green claims.  That may not be enough.  Consult with independent experts and review third-party information on the internet, too.  There are several helpful databases online that will show what’s known about specific chemicals.  Comparing products in the same category will help to identify the “greenest” in class.  Finally, there must be a judgment about whether or not the product does the job and will sell – get a sample, take it for a test spin.

If the green merchandiser is defined by product selection, he or she is also defined by products not selected.  There are plenty of useful products for which there may be better or greener options.  But there are also junk products for which the only “green” option is that they simply not exist.  Every dealer in this supply chain has experience with junk, if only by accident.  These are products so poorly designed, manufactured so cheaply, and are so obviously heading straight for the landfill that they cannot be justified no matter how low the price point.  Eliminating the worst junk from inventory is not only practical, it’s also a virtuous step toward sustainability.

Systems Thinking, Green Roofs and Shelter

(This originally appeared in the June '10 edition of Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest.)

Ultimately, the ways in which homes are designed and built influence the kinds of products and solutions that make their way into the “shelter supply chain.” The green building movement has blossomed over the last ten years, and the thinking at its core has, too. References to “systems thinking” occur more frequently in conversations concerning all aspects of building science and practice. Buckminster Fuller would be happy. But it’s early days and there is much more progress to be made. The carbon footprint of the building industry is still 2 or 3 times above where it will need to be in order to meet whatever carbon reduction target eventually becomes national policy.

The next waves of innovation are pushing forward more holistic solutions, creating new opportunities for the long term. Savvy dealers and distributors could do well to begin making moves in 2011 into green roofs and modular shelters.

A green roof is exactly what it sounds like – plants growing on the roof. The idea is old, but current approaches are based on the latest systems thinking. A good green roof system takes in the entire building ecology and watershed. Storm runoff is managed, perhaps rainwater is harvested and reused within the building. The plants effectively filter rainwater, provide habitat, and maybe even food for inhabitants. The building’s energy requirements for heating and cooling are reduced, as are heat island effects. Organic wastes are composted, loops are closed. The overall CO2 footprint is reduced. A green roof provides many services for the building, its occupants, and its neighbors, what a permaculture practitioner would call “stacking functions.”

The number of green roof installations is growing and there could soon be tax credits to keep it growing. Savvy dealers would do well to start learning about green roofs, visit local projects, and scout products. New product innovations are coming to market that are contributing to better systems with greener materials, built faster with easier maintenance, etc. Consider the whole system and how you might innovate within your own organization to grow this aspect of your business next year. Learn more at Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, (www.greenroofs.org,) an industry association. Most importantly, build relationships with local green roof designers and builders.

The other wave of opportunity is with modular shelters, a perfect example of holistic design that contributes to sustainability and self-reliance. This may not seem obvious, but at bottom, we are really in the business of providing shelter. Rather, the shelter is the continuing service that customers are getting from their building system, the components of which are sourced from various places and assembled by various workers. Why not provide shelter more holistically?

There has been growing interest in green prefabs and modular building for use on homesteads, back yards, and even roofs. New designs incorporate the greenest materials, are solar powered, collect rainwater and even come with a green roof. (For an example, see Tensen Eco Buildings, here www.tensenbuildings.co.uk.) It’s not hard to see the appeal. These products are much less expensive and more feasible than buying a bigger house or financing a room addition. Building permits may not even be necessary. As more people seek to become self-sufficient, growing their food, and simplifying their lives, these cool little shelters are even becoming preferred ways to live.

A hundred years ago, this supply chain sold goods to people with sod roofs and even sold homes. Thinking of your own dealer or distribution business as a member of the “shelter supply chain” will help position it for the inevitable low-carbon future to come.

Water Self Reliance

(Published in April '09, Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest)

With April, comes Earth Day and a host of local events all over country and of every description, from creek clean ups to huge music festivals. The media is full of green stories and more people than ever want to know about green building, saving energy, solar and wind power, retrofitting, etc. But often overlooked and under reported is the water crisis and what homeowners and builders can do about it. While those in regions used to drought and limited fresh water supplies might be prepared, communities in regions just coming into drought could use some help in becoming more water self reliant. For retailers, this represents an opportunity to do well, and do good.

There are many products and practices available for reducing household water demand, many of which can earn sizable rebates. Highlighting these products, with signage that details benefits, cost savings and local rebates can boost your sales – make sure you have the rebate forms on hand. Weather sensing irrigation controller, such as Cyber-Rain (www.cyber-rain.com) offers a cool, internet-enabled product for both home owners and landscapers. Dual-flush toilets also qualify for rebates that can sometimes cover the entire retail price of the product. And Caroma’s (www.caromausa.com) new Profile Smart is 1.28/0.8gpl and even incorporates a sink on top of the tank, capturing and reusing that graywater for even greater savings.

Another water-wise strategy is rainwater harvesting, an emerging opportunity for retailers. Regions of drought and abnormally dry weather are spreading across the West, Midwest and South, so it makes sense to capture the water when it rains for use in garden irrigation and other non-potable applications. Innovative new products now make it easy for a home owner to install their own system, eliminating the mosquito and debris clogging problems of home-grown rigs. Starting at the gutter, RainTube, (www.raintube), offers an enclosed system the lets water in and keeps debris out. Next, cutting the downspout and fitting diverters is where many homegrown projects go wrong, but a slick new kit makes it easy to get it right. The RainReserve Diverter, (www.rainreserve.com), incorporates a filter, is mosquito proof, comes with tools and is made from recycled and biodegradable plastics. Once fitted, the home owner can use the RainReserve website to locate their own used barrel to reuse. A cool alternative to the barrel is the RainWater Hog, which looks like a piece from a giant construction set and is designed to be sited almost anywhere. An in-store display incorporating products like these with useful information about your local drought conditions and benefits of rainwater harvesting could prove valuable to your community.

For the slightly more committed, graywater systems and composting toilets are two other water conservation strategies that are gaining some mainstream momentum and are worth learning more about. Graywater systems capture and reuse water that’s already been used for bathing, cleaning, laundry, etc. Very often, local codes can be very restrictive, but they’re beginning to be reviewed and modified in response to current and forecasted drought conditions. Composting toilets, of course, use no water to begin with and that’s generating more interest in them. As people learn to overcome their fears and misconceptions about how they work, the retail opportunities will grow. And while the systems can be expensive, there are rebates available, and SunMar, a leading manufacture of residential units, offers a program for non-stocking dealers. Even better, a demo unit on your store floor would be a nice way to test the water, so to speak, in your local market.