Does green selling pay?

not society in gerrral, appesl to a person's ego, don't aiur to sa\re the planet, most people would ratber save tbems€lves," Starch Tested Copy newslett€r advises.

How does a retailer apply tbis to in-stor€ mercbandising? Shelf talkers are an excellent way to point out advantages for the us€r as well as tbe environment from products that:

/ rdwe energy or water onsumption

/ avoid air or water pollution

/contain no hazardous substances

/ meet environmental regulations

/ uttlize recycled materials

/ cary Scientific Certification System's (SCS) Green Cross or Environmental Report Card or Green Seal's approval

/ qeate less solid waste

/ use recycled paper, bio-degradable ink, disposable plastic prckaging

Retailers can sell environmental advantages with confidence if they select products with verified environmental claims. "To stay abead of the curve, every bardlines retailer needs a basic understanding of the various types of claims appearing in the markeplace, and should be awre of the verification work Scientific Certification Systems and others are providing to ensure that these claims meet responsible green marketing guidelines," said Richard Lindsay, NRHA director of industry/environmental affairs. "Buyers should be able to distinguish between products which comply with minimal government guidelines and products which offer special environmental benefits and other valuable infornation, such as the information included on Environmental Report Cards."

Envirorunental Repon Cards grade a product on packaging, resoufce depletion, energy use, air pollution, water pollution and solid waste. Production, disEibution, use and disposal are considered. SCS also provides a certified label for wood products companies, evaluating them for sustainable harvest" ecosystem health, and oomnunity benefits.

To encourage energy efficient product sales, retailers can cooperate with local utility cmrpanies in promotions, advertising, discount coupons or rebates.

Some retailers report success with recycling programs for discarded telephone books or plastic bags. They both attract environmentally minded customers and promote an image of a environmentally sensitive store. Stores with large parking lots have set up bins for recycling newspapers, aluminum cans and glass boules. Done in conjunction with a recycling company, such prograrns can reward recyclen with store redeemable vouchers.

Other successful ways to inprove a store's "gl€en" image:

/ Sell cloth shopping bags

/ Prticipate in community or scbool envir,onmental activities

/ Use environmental tips in ads or bill stuffers

/ Give away seedling trees

/ Schedule composting demos

/ Install energy saving lighting and drcught resistance landscaping

Ifo* do you complete a sale when IIa custoner finds a wood door attractive, but hesitates to buy it because he is concerned about maintenance problems, warping, cracking and energy efficiency?

There's no need for a homeowner to sacrifice preference and appearance for perforrnnce, explains Jim Brandt, marketing services manager at Simpson Door Co., because today's wood doors can perfonn beautifully, thanks to modern technology. He advises retailers to increase wood door sales by bringing people up to date on the latest manufacturing improvements.

Virtually every element of the typical wood panel door has been "reinvented" to improve maintenance and durability, according to Brandt. For example, at Simpson Door Co., panels are now sawn in two during the manufacnring process. One side is flipped 180" and then the two halves are glued back together. Reversing the grain patterns of the two halves virtually eliminates the possibility of the panel splitting.

Since wood has a nahral tendency to "breathe" with changes in temperature and humidity, wood panels in doors expand and contract. In the past, such fluctuation often created problems. Today, manufacturers build doors with panels that "float," held in position by grooves along the edges of the stiles and rails instead of glue. This technique allows for expansion and contraction, eliminating potential surface splits, as well as stile and rail separation.

Wood doors in the '90s also have improved stiles. While it still looks like a single solid piece of wood, a stile is now composed of several pieces of lumber bonded together and

ENGINEERED slile cross-section.