Traders urged to become ‘eco-friendly’

Traders urged to become ‘eco-friendly’
Manila Bulletin
August 8, 2010

CEBU CITY (PNA) — An environment planner and consultant has urged Cebu’s micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (MSMEs) to take on practical approaches to be eco-friendly to become more globally competitive in the market.

Elmer Mercado, an environment planner and consultant in a forum conducted by the Philippine Business of Social Progress (PBSP) at the Crown Regency Hotel, this city, said being eco-friendly is good not because it is fashionable but it is good for the business, for the market and for the bottom-line.

He was in Cebu to share his insights and experiences in implementing environmental sustainability and initiatives for MSMEs.

He said that in achieving the “triple bottom-line” (TBL), an expansion of business framework that considers the social and environmental aspect aside from the economic aspect of the business is helpful in making the business sustainable.

"It is viable even without spending because there are business processes that we are doing that involve increasing human resource productivity, increasing profit margins and maximizing resources,” he said.

The TBL approach, he said, can help bring back earnings to the community.

He said that it typically brings back by contributing to the growth of the community such as education and facilities.

Paying the community right will help them improve their production of raw materials.

Mercado reported that there is a need for eco-friendly business to comply with the law and to respond to market pressure, competition, public health and sanitation concern, shift of lifestyle and marketing strategy or niche.

“There is an increasing global demand of environment-friendly products and companies see this as a challenge and opportunity,” Mercado said.