Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1370374
PalletCentral • May-June 2021 15 ey suggest that more governments could increase carbon taxation to companies who cannot prove a low-carbon commitment. A national carbon tax is currently implemented in 25 countries around the world. While this controversial topic has not yet seen the light of day in the United States or Canada, wooden pallet companies who have international clients may be able to use this data as a way to reinforce their relationships with those clients. For now, one important corporate benefit to link to the wooden pallet EDP is improved brand perception. An eco-friendly marketing plan pays off. Effective carbon management can influence brand perception – how consumers think, feel, and react to a company – and in turn, how much they're willing to pay for a product or service. In 2015, Nielsen 2 surveyed 30,000 consumers from around the world, and 66 percent of those consumers agree they would pay more for products and services from sustainable sources. is increased to 77 percent among millennial consumers. Even 50% of baby boomers said they are willing to pay extra. Green businesses demonstrate that sustainability is part of their mission and company culture. According to the Carbon Trust, 56% of people said they would be more loyal to a brand if they could see that it was taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint. McKinsey and Company found in their study that upward of 70% of consumers would pay an additional 5% for a green product than for a comparable non- green alternative, showing that green is profitable. e Nielsen report suggested that, among other things, brands should highlight their commitment to social and environmental impacts as a way to build trust and to drive purchases. 62% percent of consumers will trust brands who demonstrate commitment to social and environmental sustainability, which is even more important for consumers who are willing to pay more. e Nielsen report encouraged companies to have a discerning sustainability strategy. Now you can be a partner with your customer in helping them develop that strategy. Marketing this, along with other efforts, through all possible channels positions any company for the green future that is inevitably coming. NWPCA urges all members to begin to use the UL Certification in their own marketing. Send the Wood Packaging & the Circular Economy flyer (see pages 13 and 14) with your billing statements. Ask your clients to put the Wood Packaging & the Circular Economy flyer on their websites to enhance their marketing (search for the "Wood Packaging & the Circular Economy handout" which can be downloaded at https://www.palletcentral.com/page/ epd). Create a story for your company on the value of wooden pallets to the environment. No one has a better "certifiable" environmental story than wooden pallet companies. Go tell it! Caryn Smith serves as the editor and art director of PalletCentral. She is CEO of Driven By Design LLC, a communications agency specializing in association publications for over 20 years. 1 https://www.whitehouse.gov/ briefing-room/presidential- actions/2021/01/20/ executive-order-protecting-public- health-and-environment-and- restoring-science-to-tackle-climate- crisis/ 2 https://www.nielsen. com/wp-content/ uploads/sites/3/2019/04/ Global20Sustainability20Report_ October202015.pdf Effective carbon management can influence brand perception – how consumers think, feel, and react to a company – and in turn, how much they're willing to pay for a product or service.