If a Tree Falls in the Forest...

“Oh darling, everyone knows that green is the new black.”

If you pictured a nonchalant, smoky-voiced, Bogie-era Lauren Bacall in a chic designer dress saying this, moments after pulling a Martini glass from her sultry lips, we would typically be on the same wavelength (which is why I love my readers). However, for the time being, the line represents my thoughts on a tremendous organization: The Forest Stewardship Council.

The Council (FSC for short) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established in 1993 to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

It is fashionable indeed to be green these days (Kermit certainly thinks so), but if you drill down past the trendiness of it, step-by-step, we are correcting many years of mismanagement and neglect. People not only want to get on board at the local level, but they are also demanding it of the large corporations they do business with across the nation and globe. It’s an issue that blurs age, race, gender and political persuasion.

So, the question you may want to ask yourself is, “is the Expert Communications Solutions firm that you’re working with FSC Certified?”

While there are strict, specific guidelines to comply with the FSC, companies that become certified do get certain professional and social benefits. They can produce your printed materials proudly displaying the globally recognized FSC logo. This will let your customers know that your company is an environmentally conscience organization. It can also potentially give you a leg-up when pitching certain markets. These days, being green is cooler than having Louis Vuitton on your luggage, Hermes on your belt buckle or Christian Louboutin on your feet (women will get this, while most men will simply scratch their heads whilst butchering the pronunciation of the brands. Sadly, I fall into the category of the latter).

The best part of all is that in most cases, you can go green with your documents without going into the red with your budgets. Who wouldn’t like that?

To learn more about The Forest Stewardship Council, take a spin over to their website, or better still, ask your humble blog writer or a Merrill Communications Expert for more details.

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Tony Anzivino hails from the greatly misunderstood state of New Jersey. He's worked in Financial Shareholder Communications world from the age of 12, starting with Janitorial duties at his Father's firm. He likes biking, hiking and ketchup.