An increasing number of companies are making significant efforts to portray themselves as eco-friendly as consumers have become more eco-conscious.
Despite the best of intentions, many chemical suppliers engage in “greenwashing” or “green shine” by promoting themselves as environmentally friendly while in reality they are just going through the motions.
Chemical suppliers that engage in greenwashing may mistakenly believe they can increase their market value and client retention by improving public perception without actually improving environmental performance.
When the truth is finally revealed, however, the blowback may be significant for any business, B2B or B2C.
The supply chain, and other operational touchpoints, are particularly important places for a chemical supplier to implement sustainable practises.
Fortunately, enhancing the environment and creating green supplier networks are not incompatible goals. It’s not an either/or situation for businesses to care about the environment and their bottom line.
Here are the best ways to source a sustainable chemical supplier that is also able to meet your company’s chemical requirements.
1. Let the supplier know about your company’s sustainability targets
Chemical suppliers South Africa will have a department of procurement that is always on the lookout for chances to show how well it supports the company’s overall goals. As a rule, sustainability targets are announced to the public in an effort to win over loyal customers.
Therefore, procurement can have access to this data and link it to established best practises in spend management and the supply chain.
To avoid even the impression of greenwashing, purchasing departments should establish procedures detailing how sustainability targets are factored into the selection of vendors and the management of existing relationships. This will guarantee success in accomplishing goals.
2. Research the supplier’s sustainability targets
Procurement should look further than chemical suppliers in South Africa who claim that their facilities or operations are sustainable if verifiable environmental impact is the goal. Purchasing departments can inquire about sustainability targets and KPIs from their suppliers and look for proof that these rules are really followed.
The best approach to learn about a supplier’s commitment to sustainability is to see those practises in action during a site visit.
This is especially important if procurement hopes to tout the supplier’s eco-friendliness as a selling point. The chance that a buy-side company will fall prey to greenwashing grows when that company does not verify the sustainability claims made by its suppliers.
3. Look at your chemical supplier’s supplier
More than 80% of greenhouse-gas emissions and more than 90% of the effect on air, land, water, biodiversity, and geological resources are caused by the supply chain of a typical consumer company, making it responsible for significantly greater social and environmental costs than the company’s own operations.
Companies may have a stronger effect and see higher outcomes when they explore deeper into the supply chain.
As was previously noted, sustainability can be equivalent to cost effectiveness and produce significant customer loyalty and goodwill for brands.
Sustainability initiatives are only worthwhile if they provide value to the firm and its shareholders in addition to the communities and environment it serves. There may be other perks, such as tax breaks or widely recognised award programmes, for companies in certain industries or sectors.
You can achieve sustainability in the chemical supply industry as a business by applying the guidelines listed above.
