Environmental awareness is rising in the United States. People are starting to make purchases based on a companies preserved attempt to “go green”. While not all consumers are driven by a desire to make eco friendly choices, when presented with the option for an eco friendly or organic product against one that is similar but manufactured by a less environmentally conscious company, most people choose the more eco friendly product. This consumer driver has caused a shift in the way businesses are looking at product development. Here is a look at a few companies who are taking advantage of peoples hunger for companies with a conscience.

General Mills is a common house hold name because of products like Cheerios. General Mills used to spend huge amounts of money paying landfills to take tons and tons of oat hulls that needed to be discarded after the oat was processed for use in their popular cereal. When the company began looking into alternative uses for oat hulls they discovered that oat hulls can be burned to create energy and that there was a market for their leftover hulls. The company set up a program and are now making money recycling the by product they used to have to pay to dispose of. Eighty six percent of the company’s solid waste is now being recycled. Have you ever noticed when you open a box of food you bought at the grocery store the contents hardly fill half of the box. General Mills discovered another way they could save money and the environment at the same time. The company’s popular quick fix dinner Hamburger Helper got a make over. The company decided to reduce the packaging by twenty percent. Less cardboard is used but also, the smaller boxes allow more units to be transported per truck so the company has been able to make five hundred fewer trips every year since they shrank the box size.

Sometimes it’s not about changing your product as much as it is just standing up and promoting the Green movement and instituting green practices at the office. One company doing just that has a rather large office. The Philadelphia Eagles announced a green initiative. Along with spreading the word about the positive impact of making green choices the Eagles are looking at cleaning up the office a whole new way. After every game the cleaning crew makes one lap around the stadium to clean up garbage and a second lap to recycle. By committing to go green the Eagles are helping to educate all their fans about the positive impact eco friendly decisions can make.

Another venue taking a stance against unnecessary trash is C3 Presents. You may not have heard of this company but you have probably heard of the events they produce. C3 Presents is responsible for Austin City Limits Music festival and Lollapalooza. The promoter made headlines when they announced that no vendor would be allowed to serve anything in Styrofoam cups. They have also used sustainable bamboo t shirts for their even merchandise and many other Eco friendly products at all their events.

Beacon Hill Associates is the leading environmental and pollution coverage provider in the country – check out their pollution news for up-to-date information on industry developments.

http://www.b-h-a.com/Home.aspx is the leading environmental and pollution coverage provider in the country – check out http://www.b-h-a.com/news.aspx for up-to-date information on industry developments.

Author Bio: Beacon Hill Associates is the leading environmental and pollution coverage provider in the country – check out their pollution news for up-to-date information on industry developments.

Category: Society
Keywords: Environment, Business, Industry, Insurance