Being green isn't easy: 2011 preview

A few months ago, the Lincolnshire County Council took Sainsbury's to court, charging it with "excessive packaging" of a joint of beef. Then the Council abruptly dropped the case, saying it was "no longer in the public interest" since the grocery chain had reduced its packaging.

Excess packaging is only one of the eco-issues that marketers will be facing in 2011. Others include:

• Who's watching? Customers will be more impressed by claims verified by independent groups. Kimberly-Clark's Kleenex tissues, for example, have met Forest Stewardship Council certification standards.
• Be ambitious. Small changes won't be enough as competitors jump on the green bandwagon. Unilever has aggressive goals for going green--a risk if it can't deliver, but a big plus if it can.
• Industry-wide practices. In some industries, marketers are joining together to meet standards for eco-friendly practices. Setting goals isn't enough--the marketers must submit annual reports showing progress toward goals, as Carrefour and others are doing.
• Online reporting for transparency. Some firms, including IKEA and BT, are posting goals and reports online where they can quickly and easily be read by customers, employees and other stakeholders.
• There's an app for that. Even when shoppers are standing in the store, they'll be able to check green claims via apps such as barcoo.

Any way you look at it, environmental issues will be a major element in marketing plans for the coming year.