Green Initiatives: A Step Towards Environmental Safety and Sustainable Development

Introduction

Environmental or ‘Green’ marketing has been seen as a tool towards sustainable development. The marketing of products and services which do not have an adverse impact on the environment is Green Marketing. It incorporates a broad range of activities like product modification, changing the production process, modified advertising, change in packaging etc., aimed at minimizing the negative impact of products, their consumption and disposal on the environment. All over the world, companies are making an attempt to reduce the detrimental impact of products and services on the climate and other parameters of the environment. Marketers are taking it seriously and are going green. Thus there is growing interest among the consumers all over the world regarding protection of environment in which they live.

The leading newspaper, ‘The Economic Times’ reported in 2016 that India was ranked as the fifth largest generator of electronic waste in the world. NDTV report on Swach India, 2017 incorporates the fact that India is among one of the top five countries in e-waste generation with an estimated 1.85 million tonnes generated annually as per ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) and KPMG study in 2016. The Hindustan Times in 2011 reported as per researchers in Harvard, India is seventh most environmentally hazardous country in the world out of 179 countries with high water pollution, destruction of wildlife habitats and rising carbon dioxide emissions. The United Nations reported a startling statistic: the world generated 44.7 million tonnes of electronic waste in 2016 — equivalent to the weight of some 4,500 Eiffel Towers out of which India produces a significant 2 million tonnes of e-waste per annum, from refrigerators, TVs, PCs, printers and mobiles (The Hindu, 2018).

The unorganized recycling sector which fails to practice eco-friendly e-waste recycling methods releases large amount of toxic chemicals. Industry experts have analysed and reported that India’s ongoing digital zest has led to improper disposal of e-waste. An Assocham study says managing e-waste is a huge challenge for India. It has been observed in the study that obsolete electronic goods go through low-quality processing by untrained workers. In 2016, new rules introduced e-waste management targets for companies. The government has set an ambitious goal of collecting and recycling 70% of e-waste by 2023 (Lidhoo, 2018).

The Royal Society (2010) in their report stated that climate change is a hot topic for discussion in every elite platform. According to the author, there is strong evidence that the human activities are the supreme cause of global warming leading to climate change that has taken place over the last half century. Further and more rapid increase in sea level are likely which will have profound implications for coastal communities and ecosystems. Like many important decisions, even policy choices about climate change will have to be made in the absence of perfect knowledge. However, the potential impacts of climate change are a matter of great concern and therefore taking wise decisions at the earliest assumes importance.

In the green marketing schedule, sustainability has become a leading topic of discussion. According to BCG report 2009, a large number of the participants from all over the world showed keen interest in the green products of the FMCG sector which included packaged food, pet food, health and beauty products, and disposable products for the home. FMCG industry is one of the biggest in the market and a major contributor in development of the Indian economy. It is the fourth largest sector in Indian economy and fifty percent of the sales includes Personal Care and Household products. FMCG market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.6 per cent and is expected to reach US$ 103.7 billion by 2020 from US$ 49 billion in 2016. (India Brand Equity Foundation). The major categories of the FMCG are cosmetics, non - durables, toiletries and food products. There is growing concern by the Indian Government and the consumers over the environmental impact of the FMCG products. Green initiatives and green marketing depends largely on the consumer’s attitude towards the environment. If there is no strong demand for such a shift in consumer attitude, businesses will not put in the extra effort to move towards introducing green products and services (Cherian and Jacob, 2012).