Every day, consumers across the world, make complex purchasing decisions before ultimately parting with their hard earned cash. Many factors drive the decision to buy. Chief amongst them include price, quality, availability and delivery time. Factors for selecting products and services also vary due to different preferences and taste.

The growing list of factors considered by customers is also now including environmental sustainability. A new generation of green consumers are starting to question the sustainability of a product before they can purchase it. The so called, “Green Consumers”, are interested in buying products which are not only cost-competitive but also environmentally sustainable as well.

Businesses which ignore environmental issues in their production processes risk facing product boycotts. Banishment from global supply chains has also happened for businesses which ignore environmental sustainability.

Green purchasing can be implemented by individuals, private companies and public sector entities. This entails coming up with a criteria for selecting products and services. Many companies are including environmental criteria in their purchasing decisions. Greening the supply chain can ensure that environmental impacts are prevented. From a loss control perspective, companies can eliminate environmental emergencies by carefully selecting suppliers to avoid environmental risk.

There are arguments that green products are more expensive than conventional ones. Assessing costs throughout the life cycle provides a clear picture of costs and benefits of green products in order to avoid short term financial thinking. In the long term, eliminating environmental damage in the supply chain could be the solution to the global sustainable development challenges.

Author

  • Tawanda Muzamwese

    Tawanda Collins Muzamwese is the Editor in Chief of the Green Business Gazette Magazine. He is is an international consultant in sustainable business development with massive experience in training, consulting and auditing. He has facilitated capacity development in more than 100 enterprises drawn from over 30 countries. He is the founder of the sustainability think-tank called Toxiconsol Consultancy t/a African Sustainability Consultants. He is the Editor in Chief of the Green Business Gazette Magazine. He is a consultant and business coach with over 13 years experience. Tawanda is a Management Systems Consultant working on promoting development and implementation of ISO Standards (ISO 14001:2015, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018) in both developed and developing countries. With his inspirational and pragmatic writing style he has written cutting edge books including: 1) How to grow a Side-hustle into a viable business - Overcome Salary Dependency 2) The Leading Consultant: How become an authority in your professional field 3) Step-by-Step Guide to implementing Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Management Systems 4) Stepping on Higher Perspectives: Greatness Tips Motivational Series 5) Sustainability Guidebook for Boards and CEOs: Leading from the front Tawanda writes about sustainability, motivation, safety, health, environment and quality management. His books are relevant to both developed and developing countries. With practical approaches and case studies, he provides incisive insights into entrepreneurship. His philosophy is based on the premise that every human being has potential to make a significant difference in their lifetime. He writes books on taking personal responsibility for progression in life. He motivates entrepreneurs to implement income generating projects and determine their own financial destiny. He also motivates companies to take up sustainability initiatives. A start-up coach, public speaker, environmentalist, safety, health and quality management expert, Muzamwese bridges the gap between theory and practice through building capacity and sharing practical case studies in his books.

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