Green Retailers Have To Work Hard

But retailers can be the best "green" examples found, Eric P. Canton, Canton Lumber Co., maintains.

How? By establishing consumer focused green bulletin boards, by appointing an "eco" speaker for each store location, by presenting a responsible environmentalist image on everything ftom letterheads to advertising to public relations and civic involvement. Stores merchandising forest products can display "renewable resource greenness with pride", Canton says.

Encourage the purchase and sale of products that enhance the environment, he suggests. Furnish paper bags made of recycled paper instead of plastic. Encourage customers to bring their own carryalls. Computerize for a minimum paper usage environment. Adopt a unifonn that calls attention to your environmental sensitivity. Emblazon a vest, jacket" sweater or shirt with the name of your company and the message "Bringing You Products From America's Renewable Forests. "

Establish a library of films and/or video tapes including "The Continuing Forest," "Caring for the Forest" and "In Harmony Witl Nature" by The Temperate Forest Foundation. Show them frequently until employees become enthusiastic believers. confident of repeating the informa- tion. Schedule presentations of the films before civic organizations, handing out fact sheets. Help teachers responsible for environmental courses to understand the renewable resource story. Sponsor visits each year by one or two educators to key producing regions such as the Northern California redwoods to visit nurseries, observe the forest's life cycle and meet the ffue conservationsts whose lives are committed to renewing forests.

BUTTON

With every sale, acknowledgement, proposal and invoice, include a message proclaiming your commitment to buying products from forests committed to the renewal process. Maintain a file of mills and wholesale disfibutors committed to doing business the "Green" way.

Put your time and knowledge to work at the grass roots level where the most convincing gesture is eye to eye confidence in the truth of the message, the Minneapolis, Mn., wholesaler stresses.