Each day our world is becoming a little more connected, our global economy expanded, and new corporations extending their reach even further. Even here in rural Michigan, in a town of population 1,000, I can get to a Wal-Mart in less than 20 minutes. And since Wal-Mart is now starting to carry organic and recycled products, many people are happy to shop there and still have a chance to be “green”.

But there is a deeper issue surrounding business these days. Not just whether or not a store carries organic, green products, but also the way in which they conduct themselves. The imprint that any business leaves on our community and our planet, especially large corporations, is usually much larger than any one person’s individual imprint. Thus businesses have the potential to do immeasurable good, or to wreak havoc on our ecosystems, our landfills, and our commitment to fair and just working conditions for employees. It is important to consider not only the products you are buying, but how they came to the marketplace. Here are some questions to consider:

Do the businesses you frequent recycle their office paper?
Do they utilize green energy in their factories and distribution plants to minimize pollution?
Do they ship and distribute their products in recycled boxes and packaging?
Do they pay their employees not just minimum wage, but a fair living wage and offer health insurance so that families have a chance to grow and be healthy?
Do they implement energy-saving plans within their store and office space to minimize valuable natural resource usage?
Are they contributing a percentage of their profits (which, for large corporations, is often in the billions) to non-profit organizations that are helping local communities and protecting the environment?
Are the organic products offered certified, or are they just carrying the labels “organic” and “natural”, as many companies are doing these days?
Have they sought an alternative to plastic bags at checkout, which are quicky contributing to a massive, worldwide dilemma that involves billions of pounds of non-biodegradable refuse accumulating in our landfills, oceans, parks, and forests?
Do they offer advice and guidance for consumers seeking their own ways to become greener?
Do they keep manufacturing jobs here in the US, or do they outsource valuable US labor to other countries, utilizing “Sweatshop labor”, to save money- taking valuable jobs away from our economy?
Are the products manufactured overseas produced in an inspected and certified Fair Trade environment, ensuring economic stability and a fair living wage for those communities?

The answer to most, if not all, of the questions for green businesses will be a resounding “Yes!”. You can find our answers to many of these questions on our page “Our Green Commitment“. We encourage you to ask the same questions and seek answers from other businesses which you frequent. Those answers will very well determine the future of our marketplace: whether we demand goods that have a positive impact on our planet, or whether we ignore these issues and continue to support corporations that place profit at the forefront of all decisions.