Well, consumers may not have thought about it, but the
market and the industry definitely have crafted a sales
strategy to lighten consumers’ pockets this festive
season, starting with Ganesh
Chaturthi. And between the
consumer and the market, what will go for a toss is
the environment.
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, for one,
gives out an annual reminder to people to spare a thought
for the water bodies when they immerse Ganesh idols
in the rivers every year. Laced with chemicals and carcinogenic
paints, trinkets and dyed cloth, the idols are an environmental
nightmare. Incidentally, Lord Ganesh is also supposed
to be the god of waste – “malleshwar”
as he is called.
However, green consumption is
still to arrive in urban India. For more than a decade,
India’s ecolabel – the Ecomark –
has languished with almost no takers among even the
most polluting of Indian industries and products.
The fact that the Ministry of Environment & Forests
did not make the scheme mandatory for any product
category further contributed to its demise. What needs
to be studied in the midst of all this is consumer
response to “green
products” or “environmentally-sensitive
consumption”.
Why is it that a compact fluorescent
lamp will find acceptance among consumers, but not
a biodegradable plastic bag or detergent? Will we
accept a brand of copier paper that is, let’s
say ten paise per sheet costlier than other brands,
but is significantly more environment-friendly in
its production processes?
The answer may lie in the fact that for consumers,
it is economy that is more important, and not environment-friendliness
alone. A case in point is the Philips story, in the
USA, when it launched its original entry of CFL, called
“Earthlight” to communicate the CFL’s
environment-friendliness. The brand bombed, since
it failed to communicate the message of ‘economy’
effectively to its consumers. Many battery-operated
vehicles that cause little air pollution as compared
to fuel-guzzlers have also met with the same fate.
What then, is the way out for India,
with its one billion-strong consumer population? Will
we reject environment-friendly products for the ones
that are cheaper, or may have better performance?
How can we create a consumer movement that is responsive
to, and accepting of green products and services?
Can our cultural orientations, and festivals lend
a helping hand?
It is true that Holi has seen people’s
interest in organic colours due to the safety and
health aspect, and the Cola and pesticide controversy
has also led people to be watchful of their cola consumption.
The challenge therefore is to link a product or a
service’s green credentials with its performance,
economy, healthfulness and safety.
It is happening successfully in the
western markets, and there is no reason why it cannot
be initiated in India.
India, with its history of environmental
and cultural integration with consumption patterns,
is just waiting for such an idea.
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