Questions & Answers:
What is Green Shift™?
Green Shift™ is as much a concept as it is a company. We are a Federal Incorporate of Canada and operate as a For Profit Organization because we believe that a Sustainable future rests not on hand outs from generous souls but on Profit with Principles. We set out to be a Model for what initially began as a plea to others. We call ourselves a “Channel For Profit” business because while we believe in profit, we believe in carefully channelling that profit and furthermore believe that it is the responsibility of all people and all companies to look out not just for themselves but for the greater good. Green Shift™ is a Facilitator of Environmental Stewardship accomplished through the Supply of products and services.
Who is behind Green
Shift™ ?
The founder of Green Shift™ is Jennifer
Wright – someone who has been passionate about nature and
wildlife preservation from a very early age; beginning as
a tag along at age 6-7 on a “Pollution Committee” of a small
lake that went from being untouched to inhabiting a number
of cottagers. Jennifer began educating people about the concerns
of shampoos and detergents getting into the lakes, and through
life continued examining the harmful impacts of people on
our natural environment, and the exploration for alternatives.
Jennifer has spent many years as an Environmental Auditor
and Senior Environmental Analyst for the reputable U.S. and
Canadian Environmental Certification Agencies - Green Seal
and Canada 's Environmental Choice Program.
See here for more details.
Where does Green Shift™ operate?
Green Shift™ headquarters are in
Toronto, Canada . We are involved in consulting contracts
across North America and have communications around the world.
Products are supplied wherever the volume size can justify
the delivery, and otherwise we arrange for distribution channels
that allow us to channel products through reduced shipping
needs. So wherever you are, if you are genuine, we may be
able to help each other.
What type of Services does Green
Shift™ offer?
Green Shift™ offers customized services to various
Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Organizations, often
beginning with environmental assessments that look at a various
areas involving waste, water, energy, procurement, pollution
or anything that stands out as an environmental concern.
Companies who are interested in Green Products can use Green
Shift as a sourcing and screening agent whereby arrangements
are made with your current supplier, or can be delivered directly
to your place of need. If you are a Responsible Manufacturer
with Environmental Products we will likely include you in
our reports and give free word of mouth advertising. For a
better idea of the type of projects we handle, please see
our list of services.
Why did Green Shift™ expand into Products?
Product Analysis and Assistance with Green Procurement
was always a big component of the Consulting work. Supplying
products directly is where things changed and this came about
because it was a crucial link that was missing from the equation.
While Green Shift™ did first try to inform, educate and/or
convince suppliers to open up to these environmental solutions,
they were all 1.resistant to change 2. prone to supporting
or buying into green washing and 3.charging a premium for
anything labelled environmental and thus limiting sales to
“niche” markets. In cases where referrals had been given to
the few environmental products that were supplied by these
companies, repeat visits with clients proved that over time
these suppliers defaulted back to supplying their toxic cousins
– often claiming that these were the “new environmental products”.
Whether we supply direct or simply ensure that suppliers are
providing approved products, we wanted to make sure that well
intentioned people were not being scammed by false marketing
and/or accidentally supporting a company that has a bad track
record.
What type of Products Does Green
Shift™ offer?
We offer, refer, analyze and assist with product
development on a wide variety of products – specifically focussing
on alternatives to the mass use items that represent a serious
concern and that should have been replaced long ago. Some
further information can be found under Products, but if you
are interested in something, please contact us directly and
we can send you a list.
What makes Green Shift™ Unique?
Our company is about making it easy and cost effective
for business to be green, and about a major Shift brought
about from channelling support to good, responsible companies
and institutions. Green Shift™ uses Products
and Services as a means to an end, not as an end in itself
- a unique marriage of consulting, product analysis, brokering,
and distribution which results in a company very different
from any traditional definitions. Green Shift™ was spawned
from writing customized reports on Corporate Social Responsibility,
before the term was really used, and thus we wanted an opportunity
to test the theories – to represent a new type of company
whereby Profit and Principles are one thing together and never
looked upon as a choice of being anything but. We challenge
clients and or customers to see beyond these traditional titles
and to realize that Green Shift™ is not a Supply or Consulting
Company but instead is a Facilitator in a Program for Change.
What is Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR)?
CSR refers to companies taking responsibility for
the true cost of their business. It goes well beyond the business
and economics classes of the twentieth century where nature
and external costs were left out of the equation. Corporate
Social Responsibility is about business looking at the big
picture and stepping up to the challenge of operating in a
manner that does not create and ignore the side effects of
their business.
What is Green Washing?
Green Washing is what Green Shift™
is out to prevent – that is companies who are trying to make
themselves look green when they in fact are not. Unfortunately
this is extremely common; companies who think of environmental
improvements as just another type of marketing game. Some
common concerns include the lack of regulations and the blatant
misuse of words like “biodegradable” and “environmental”,
which are labelled on a slew of products that are anything
but.
How does Green Shift™ guarantee advice
or supply of Genuine Green Products?
A lot of hours! Staff at Green Shift™ have been involved
in Product Analysis and Environmental Analysis for many years
and utilize scientists on contract in many examinations. When
it comes to chemicals, new ones are being produced faster
than anyone can test them and manufacturers have a lot of
leeway with Proprietary Ingredient Laws. Material Safety Data
Sheets are only a window into products and when it comes to
various plastics or other synthetic fibres we are dealing
with similar issues without even having that window. In addition
to using certification criteria from various reputable third
party agencies as a minimum standard, Green Shift™ uses its
own method of questioning in order to best assess the full
situation. Green Shift™ analysis considers not just the products
but also the companies behind the Products. While this does
not offer a guarantee, if there are any doubts we are completely
up front about it and generally would simply not offer it
until we had better guarantees. Every case is unique and choices
are made with the best of intentions and with the most information
we can obtain. Everyone's support is greatly appreciated as
the more we grow the more we are able to influence and gain
disclosure.
Does Genuine Green mean 100% Environmentally
Friendly or Benign?
No, while we do strive for that, we do a life cycle
analysis and carefully consider all of the factors involved.
Our use of the word green is broad and encompasses a wide
variety of environmental considerations, in addition to issues
of human and animal rights and more. We look for what should
be expected and analyze the reasons for anything that falls
short. Genuine Green therefore means the best we can find,
and the best of what can be expected – beyond preferable but
sometimes short of 100%.
Are any Companies really Environmentally
and/or Socially Responsible?
Yes. Unfortunately the very nature of a "Corporation”
however does have tendencies to be pulled to the dark side.
In attempt to cut costs, and in a belief that business is
business, and not to be mixed or confused with “other issues”,
many companies have pushed for practices that are often in
conflict with CSR. Today CSR is paying off and even appealing
to those who still really only care about the bottom line.
Green Shift™ is fortunate to be involved with some great companies/institutions
who are making changes because they care and not just because
it is profitable (indicating they will stick it out even if/when
the tides turn), but either way, as these organizations increasingly
use Green Shift™ to improve their stewardship, we will soon
tally our data and will be happy to list and report on some
great Socially and Environmentally Responsible companies.
Where Does Green Shift™ fit in?
Green Shift™ is a vehicle for change;
going down several avenues and collecting supporters along
the way. Our goal is to weed through the Green Washers and
ensure that we are shifting power into the hands of companies
who are more deserving and trustworthy. Green Shift™
is here to help make it easy and cost effective
for companies to be green, to ensure that the integrity of
greenshifting companies is maintained and to become a growing
voice that will work for years to come to bring about real
change.
Who monitors Green
Shift™?
Green Shift™ is a very open and
communicative company. It provides information that can be
checked and encourages people to always ask questions. One
of its biggest roles is to ask the right questions, and to
keep asking them. Unfortunately such probing and prodding
can make us a bit of a thorn in the side of many companies,
even though we are an aid to those we consider green.
This is why your support is so important, as Green
Shift is really a collective voice of Green
Shifters and together we are making sure that our future
will be genuinely green, and not hijacked by the green-washers.
Is Green Shift™ looking for help?
Absolutely! We would love your support as a greenshifting client, customer or worker. In particular, the biggest help that anyone can give us is to support companies who are a part of the Green Shift™, as that is what really will allow us, as a collective, to grow stronger and have more ability to further the movement.
Contact Us: 416-925-9665 / info@GreenShift.ca
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