Reading Seth Godin’s post For a nickel it occurred to me that many business could become more environmentally friendly by charging a little more – here’s what he says:
The current Fast Company reports that when Ikea started charging a nickel for shopping bags, consumption went down by 50% (95% in the UK).
Clearly, it’s not the nickel.
The way you charge for something changes the way people perceive it. If the dinner special includes dessert, people get dessert because it’s ‘free’. Of course, it’s not free. You paid extra for the special, remember?
Can you imagine the positive impact it would have on the environment if ALL shops started charging for carrier bags. It’s got the potential to be a win/win/win opportunity too – the shop reduces costs (less bags needed) the environment benefits (less material used) and being green can be a point of differentiation for a business providing another win for the business. We the consumer win as we benefit from a cleaner environment and let’s face it the bags just clutter up our houses – we really SHOULD have move to reusable bags by now.
This blog is about business opportunities and ideas that I spot, think of or hear about and think are useful and interesting. It is intended to provide ideas and inspriation for you to help you find the right business idea for you to then grow it into a successful business.
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