Is “Green” Still a Hot Topic in Material Handling?
Is “green” still a hot topic in material handling? A couple of years ago, it seemed that everywhere you turned, there was an article about new green technologies like fuel cells or LED lighting or something of that ilk. It doesn’t seem to come up as often anymore, so I’m wondering if it is a trend that has fallen by the wayside.
Green projects, for those who may not know, are those that are environmentally friendly, loosely synonymous with energy-efficient, alternative fueled, and/or able to be recycled. “To go green” was the oft-cited response to why customers should switch from IC to electric forklifts, or order a remanufactured part.
At the time, I’m estimating late 2007-2008, material handling wasn’t the only industry touting its green-ness. Automobiles, restaurants, manufacturers, and other businesses touted the benefits of reduced carbon footprints, natural ingredients and all that. I don’t hear about that as much anymore.
So here’s my question: Why? Have green projects been fewer and farther between now that everyone’s in a financial crunch (after all, green solutions often cost more)? Is green expected as a solution, so there’s no reason to market it that way anymore? Was that just a trendy marketing gimmick in the first place? Maybe I’m just not listening and the message is still there? Or another reason?
I’ll leave it to the experts. What do you think?
Tags: economy, green, material handling
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:32 am
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February 22nd, 2010 at 10:42 am
Chris, Great questions. I’m interested to read some of the comments as the trend is constantly changing. It seems that maybe the green novelty has worn off a bit and or becoming more of a standard especially in the construction of new buildings or replacements. It’s very important to point out the ROI when selling anything that involves a more Greener Product.
February 22nd, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Thanks for the comment, Josh. I’m curious as to what others are going to say. The “green” push seems to have lost some of its luster in light of the current economy but that may not be true. And you’re right ROI is important…for all projects, but especially green ones to get people to commit.