The historical animus between corporate America and the environmental movement is no secret. For more than a decade, their competing interests have led them to butting heads more often than not. Yet lately it seems as though corporate America has started to warm up to the green message as increasingly more companies are beginning to make efforts to make their products, services, and business models more environmentally friendly. Eco-friendly paper products are a good example.

It would have been unheard of for a restaurant chain to use something like a paper straw five or six years ago. Everything was plastic back then. But paper straws are catching on slowly but surely. The same goes for eco-friendly cups, plates, utensils, etc. American corporations are even looking at eco-friendly packaging that goes beyond just substituting wooden pallets for plastic.

The question is, what will it take for corporate America to fully embrace eco-friendly paper products rather than continuing to give them only cursory attention? There are really only two things that will do it:

1. Public Pressure

A few years ago, the Home Depot big-box DIY store faced tremendous pressure from environmental groups over the continued sale of lumber taken from old-growth forests. It took a couple of years, but those environmental groups eventually convinced corporate management to stop selling the lumber.

If a large corporation can be convinced that something they are doing is not acceptable to customers, they will stop doing it. Right now, there is no desire to shift to eco-friendly paper products because companies do not perceive that their customers care about their current choices. The minute the public begins demanding a change, that change will come.

We are seeing many corporations form working committees to support their “green” initiatives. Most often it’s the millennial employees spearheading these projects. Galaxie Coffee fully supports these efforts and as prices come down due to increased usage, we are lowering our retail pricing as well.

2. A Healthier Bottom Line

Like it or not, businesses of all sizes – be they small companies like Galaxie Coffee or huge, global corporations – exist to make money for their owners. The driving force behind just about everything a corporation does is the bottom line. If eco-friendly paper products could be introduced, manufactured, and used in such a way as to improve the bottom line, you’d better believe corporate America would jump on board.

By the way, the desire for healthy bottom line is not a bad thing. It is what keeps all our employers in business; it is what ensures we all have jobs to pay our bills. Appealing to corporate America and its desire for a healthy bottom line is a very legitimate way to convince companies to embrace eco-friendly paper products. The makers of those products just have to find a way to make what they sell more desirable to corporate buyers.

Eco-friendly paper products are catching on with American business slowly but surely. In the meantime, our job at Galaxie Coffee is to continue to provide our customers in the greater New York area with the best possible office coffee service. We would be happy to provide service for your company, regardless of size or need.