The Home Depot: Eco Options Program Case Analysis
Step 1: Environment Scanning
In 2004 The Home Depot’s (THD) Eco Options program began in their Canadian locations and on Earth day of 2007 in the United States. The program was created to create environmentally friendly products to consumers that would support the environment while helping consumers save money on their monthly energy bills. The programs successful audience is a combination of two groups. The first group is involved in supporting the environment while living an ecofriendly lifestyle while the other group is mostly concerned about the money saving aspect of using the products. In contrast, there is a broad audience that THD EO’s program is not successfully reaching which is made up of mainstream consumers who care about the environment but don’t bother to inconvenience themselves with adjusting to using ecofriendly options. Consumers of the programs are middle aged people who are in the market for appliances. They need home improvement needs and appliances.
THD Eco Options program has the following objective:
• Creation of products that reduce energy usage, support sustainable forestry practice, promote cleaner water and less air pollution
• Empower and inspire customers to make a difference
• Position THD as an environmental leader and socially responsible company
Step 2: Statement of the Problem/Opportunity
Many people do not live ecofriendly lives or find protecting the environment to be important.
constantly-growing trees that clean the air of greenhouse gases and purify drinking water for wildlife.
The first is that humans needs and natures needs are two separate issues. The idea that they're not irrevocably intertwined is inane, because we want the environment to thrive so that we can continue to exploit it. The second misconception is our reliance on technological advances that may or may not happen to save the environment. This diamond implies is a foolish thing to do, as many monumental issues are all waiting to be fixed with technology that isn't coming, or that if it does ever come, it won't be an instantaneous thing. Third and finally, is the perception that those who fear for the environment are fear-mongers, doom-sayers, and rabble rousers. Their cries of warning falling on deaf ears because the effects of environmental damage has yet to reach the public. While the citizens of America may not feel the effects, there's a great many third world countries that do and are. Places where overpopulation and famine are rampant are prime spots for wars, terrorism, and emigration which then spreads the very same problems to other
Have you ever thought about how your actions or opinions affected the environment around you? We’re constantly unaware of what we do that impacts the environment’s condition. One author named Wendell Berry blames the public in his article regarding the way society and the industry has treated the environment and its natural resources. This raises concerns whether we should be putting more importance on the economy or the land that we live in for the sake of our future survival. While I agree with most of Berry’s points and perspectives I slightly disagree with a few of his opinions, but nonetheless he brings up a great matter in today’s modern society.
The amount of waste that’s produced by the lack of concern for the environment is huge. We as Americans don’t see it as a total problem because we’re doing different things that we don’t pay attention to. We as people need to learn the concept of not wasting anything to harm the people and other things around us.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, developments in Australian home appliances focused on energy efficiency. Environmental awareness was at an all-time high and studies had
Have you ever stopped to consider what a privilege it is to have a clean environment that we depend on for many of our aspects of life, such as sports, food, and the remainder of what we need to survive and thrive? Unless from off-earth, which would be things that we get from space matter (which is a miniscule amount), everything we have is thanks to our earthly resources. However, there is a huge price to the benefits. Someone has to take care of the negative effects that impact the environment, and unfortunately they aren’t fully accredited to what they have to do to maintain order in many people’s lives and ensure the environment is providing for their profession. When we think of environmentally-dependent professions more locally, many of the people of North Carolina depend on our environment to sustain their livelihood, and even to make a living for themselves, like fishermen, farmer, hunters, and all kinds of employment options. That is why Environmental non-profits in North Carolina should receive more funding annually from the government, for all the things they do to make sure our resources aren’t degraded, people can continue to use our environment for their enjoyment and any other needs.
In class, we have discussed that there is a constant battle of protecting the environment, but also wanting
-Initiate and implement the ‘Go Green’ project to promote the sustainability features of our products to customers
Around the world, humans are aware of the environmental crisis going on, yet, the issue is brushed under the rug and ignored. This issue is ignored due to the fact that some people are unwilling to change their lifestyles, it is expensive to be environmentally friendly, and there is a lack of effort towards change worldwide. Scientific evidence has proven that there is a crisis happening, but people show disinterest in it. Some people feel helpless because there is no way that the individual effort that is made can possibly make a global difference.
Throughout world history, people have come up with brilliant new ideas to make life easier, and as time goes on, research, making food, and getting news, has all become instantaneous. It now only takes the push of a button to cook a thanksgiving meal or the click of a remote to find out what’s happening across the world. These things are often taken for granted, and rarely does someone stop and say: “I wonder what turning on this extra lamp does to the environment?” This statement sounds insignificant when there are people starving in other countries and people are training for the army. Yet, being concerned about the environment is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the environment should be one of the biggest concerns among people, as
I decided to do my research at Lowe’s Home and Improvement. Lowe’s Home and Improvement is a hardware store that sales everything from your basic household appliances to minor cleaning supplies. Lowe’s believes that in order to maintain great customer service they feel that they must follow these simple rules: Provide customers with environmentally-responsible products, packaging and services at everyday low prices, educate and engage employees, customers and others on the importance of conserving resources, reducing waste and recycling, review and communicate progress made toward achieving established goals and objectives, and to engage on public policy issues related to sustainability. In this report I will discuss how I observed two
With these possibilities comes choices. No matter what the circumstance is, there is always a choice. The question then comes down to, will we make the right choice. When it comes to the environment, people seem to make choices that reap in our benefit. “To realize these aspirations, we must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities” (The Earth Charter, 2016). People don’t realize our actions effect more than just us as humans. There are several other mammals, amphibians, reptiles, etc. that live among us. Earth has a give and take relationship. If we give to the Earth it will take care of us and its inhabitants if we take care of it. However, if we take from Earth, and essentially destroy it, it will destroy us. According to the World Health Organization, “it has been estimated that more than 12.5 million people died due to their exposure to an unhealthy environment worldwide, accounting for 25% of the total global deaths in 2012.” This is much like the case studies found in Ecoliterate. There is one case in particular about a father who watches as his daughter crawls towards him on their front patio. A moment that is supposed to be filled with joy quickly turns to anger when he picks her up and notices she is covered in coal dust. This dust came from the coal mining that is happening just down the road. As the child grows older she is
"Save the Planet," "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," "Go Green." Quotes like these have become a commonality in today's age. We all are familiar with the large efforts to help preserve the environment. In "Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments," Thomas E. Hill Jr. sums up his essay by stating, "The point is not to insinuate that all anti-environmentalists are defective, but to see that those who value such traits as humility, gratitude, and sensitivity to others have reason to promote the love of nature" (688; par. 4) This excerpt provides the thesis behind Hill's argument. The author found that
Taking all of this into consideration, we came up with the initial project idea of creating our own set of comprehensive procurement guidelines. These would be quantified, clear, and concise. However, we soon found that this project would be logistically difficult to complete and implement, given our resources and timeline. We also realized that the current guidelines are already available to UCLA staff, who, as the survey data indicated, are largely unaware of them. For this reason, simply updating the existing guidelines would have likely had little effect in changing purchasing behavior. The need for an educational component quickly became apparent - indeed, nearly 50% of survey participants identified a lack of awareness/knowledge of sustainable products as the biggest obstacle to the sustainable procurement of office supplies at UCLA.
Many people think of environmental awareness as a waste of time. Most big businesses and even the government believes that it gets in the way of profit and production. One person can minimize problems like hazardous waste and pollution. Most people believe that because they are one person they cannot help the environment, when they really can. People can pick up trash, not litter, re-use products, recycle, walk to places, take the bus or subway, or ride a bike. The earth also needs the government and big business’ help when it comes to earth quakes, oil spills, endangered species, etc. These problems require the actions of big groups and the government. Doing service to your environment will really make a difference. Taking action in your