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Where do you even start when trying to create a more sustainable business? I have to say being an online business, made it much less challenging. That being said, even companies focused on minimalism can run into obstacles when doing simple paperwork, spreading the word through print media channels and even making business cards.

So how does Verde Lifestyles rate?

Well, for starters, the only paper we have is receipts and legal documents. I bought a small binder for record keeping and it’s barely half full at this point. We use online resources such as Base Camp and Highrise (37 Signals) to keep track of our customers and mange projects. We don’t own a brick and mortar and our vendors ship our products from their facilities, which cuts back on costs and the use of other resources.

BUT….

We certainly have room for improvement. Even with the few print items we have used, it was interesting trying to find greener options. We’ve now started to make as many purchases online as possible and save our receipts in pdf format. So electronically we’re covered, but I thought it would be much more interesting to do a case study on the decisions we’ve made as a company versus others. I didn’t want to focus as much on the green qualities, but rather how decisions were made. What motivates individuals and businesses to make sustainable decisions?

Business Cards:

When we decided to order business cards we knew we wanted them to be as eco-friendly as possible. After a small amount of research, we decided to order cards printed on FSC certified 100% recycled paper with vegetable dye ink from Greener Printer. Of course they are located in California so they had to be shipped across the country, but the packaging was minimal and we were okay with a little extra cost for greener cards. Because of the design of the cards we were unable to fit the recycled icon on the back. We based our decision on the assumption that it doesn’t necessarily reflect poorly on a green company to not have clearly visible recycled icons. We knew they were, even though others may have not even thought about it.

Where’s the line of making customers aware of your company’s policies versus overly promoting your self as green? When is it necessary to point out your efforts?

Product Decisions:
While researching products, it was quite challenging finding quality eco-friendly products through vendors who were able to ship directly to our customer. The cost involved in managing inventory and the extra packaging from shipping to us and then to our customers was just too much. Not to mention the amount of savings on natural resources and emissions. There were also products that were on a fine line of being labeled green (green treatment facilities but not green materials or vise versa). Ultimately we had to turn these down. We decided, and you’ll hear us say over and over again, that “We won’t carry any products that we wouldn’t have in our home.”

Ryan and I try to consider the environmental impact of our own ‘consumer behavior’ and reflect that in the decisions we make on a daily basis. I suppose another reason for writing this blog post is to let our customers know that if they have any doubt about our products or general questions, that we are here to answer them. Amongst many other additions to the site, we will be rolling out a section dedicated to our manufacturers so customers know exactly where the products come from.

Postcards:
Don’t even get me started on the postcards! This was a major lesson in the importance of communication. I neglected to read the fine print from the printer that said the recycled cards had to be 4.25″ x 5.5″ instead of the standard 4″ x 6″. So when I talked to the designer, I assumed that our wonderfully designed (and paid for) cards would be ready to go with the correct size. Due to this last minute realization, and some other miscommunications, I was unable to send the new design to the printer until 4 hours before the deadline when the glossy cards (not recycled) were my only option. We HAD to have the cards for the launch party, so I made the business decision to order the glossy postcards and to have them redesigned for the recycled card size next time we order them. I know… I know, I feel so guilty! But as a business owner, you can occasionally be forced to make those types of decisions. I don’t know if I’m offering insight or just trying to justify my decision, but I’m finding that as a business owner (especially one in this industry) the lines are often blurred. That being said, done, and irreversible, we are making changes every day to ensure we don’t become a ‘green washing’ company.

We are starting discussions with some local schools and charities to see how we may be able to further our cause and plan to plant a tree or two each year for what little accidental and unfortunate business decisions may make. Stay tuned for more info on the company and a blog coming out asap with pictures and some stories from our launch last week.

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Every once in awhile I like to add completely random pictures to my post.  This week I watched my all time favorite movie, Pride & Prejudice, for probably the 10th time.  When studying abroad in London, I also took a Pride & Prejudice “tour” to places where they filmed the movie.  So ok I’m a little obsessed.  But without further ado, this is an image from the Peak District in England.

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