Making the “green choice” can be a daunting challenge. Are paper straws really worth the taste of soggy cardboard combined with your drink of choice, after a measly five minutes of sipping? And what do the “eco-conscious” labels on clothing even mean? Greener, a free application for consumers, as well as an advisor for companies, breaks it all down to the essential numbers.
Climate apathy weighs on many
Conscience of environmentally friendly practices is not always a given, even for experienced shoppers. The temptation of simply purchasing a staple product rather than taking chances with a marginally greener dupe is overwhelming. Especially since obvious greenwashing campaigns mislead consumers, and discourage the effort.
But as new horrors of mass pollution, rising emissions and man-made catastrophes alert both businesses as well as buyers, the anticipated outrage is often squashed into a state of simple confusion. Does everyone have the time, resources and willpower to question each purchase, let alone conduct an extensive research, befitting as complex a field as objectively measured eco-friendliness?
The founder of Greener, Tom Ferrier, argues that making these daily choices can and ought to be made a lot easier. The transformation of the spending habits of any user is as straightforward as can be – The bank account is linked to the Greener App. Now, the user is presented with a simple breakdown of his or her carbon emissions and the resulting ecological impact, rather than being labeled vaguely as more or less “green”. Then, based on an assortment of 250+ brands, Greener makes suggestions that can actually make a tangible positive impact, in the form of simple swaps.
The data that this evaluation is based on relies on the expertise of leading climate scientists. So for each dollar spent, the amount of greenhouse emissions can be pinpointed reliably, and as they reduce, successes become more visible to the user.
The demand for this service is as predicted. In the US and Great Britain, as many as 88% of consumers have expressed a desire to have businesses help them be more sustainable. It is apparent that the weight of the responsibility that is making correct decisions without fail is hard to bear unsupported. After all, who wants to feel left alone in saving the planet, especially when there are seemingly endless ways to get the decisions wrong?
Greener businesses mean greener customers
The solution goes both ways. Based on size, type, and business model, businesses that are clients to Greener can receive a solution befitting of their own individual needs. The advice is clear, and the key goals are to reduce waste as well as overall emissions with policy and practice changes.
Although there are other carbon tracking and offset platforms in the market, no other business is tackling the climate solution from both sides — consumer and business.
Tom Ferrier, founder of “Greener”
Since its inception in 2019, Greener has partnered with several brands, among them Microsoft. They have now announced a seed raise of $2.5 million led by NAB Ventures, as well as RealVC. The investment will be put towards the development of the consumer app, as well as the business solutions, which are both to be launched next year.
So as we continue spending, or leading businesses into a greener future, the questions we ask ourselves can only increase, as does ecological awareness. As Tom Ferrier puts it, closing the gap between motivation and know-how, and rewarding consumers and businesses for their efforts is what keeps them from feeling overwhelmed. And with each dollar that is spent, the little conundrums that we pose ourselves may soon stop piling up on our collective eco-consciences.