Eco-Trends of the Year

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

The recent recession may have cut back business plans but it seems eco-friendly initiatives or the ``green effect'' is not going away anytime soon. Making a more environment-friendly world is becoming a prerequisite for businesses in marketing strategies or innovations, leading international trend firm, trendwatching.com, to come up with some of the greenest trends around the world

Eco-Iconic

Difficult the times may be, but many consumers still stick to style when they choose products. This is something important for manufacturers and businesses alike. If the product isn't green and doesn't make a statement of its own, consumers will not purchase it. Trendwatching.com explains the concept as ``eco-friendly goods and services sporting bold, iconic markers and design, that help their eco-conscious owners show off their eco-credentials to their peers.''

Samsung, one of the world's most popular electronics makers, recently introduced its solar powered touch screen phone Blue Earth at this year's GSMA Mobile World Congress, and also revealed Yepp YP-S2, also known as the ``pebble MP3,'' last year. The MP3 gadget may not have any special eco-friendly feature, but it surely made a statement as being eco-iconic.

Eco-Frugal

Getting greener is not the only element businesses must consider in times like these. The greener and cheaper products are, the easier it is for consumers to reach into their slimmer wallets. Even if the product is pricey, many smart products manage to be worthy as they tend to save more in the long run, both in energy and money.

Payless ShoeSource recently announced a new line of affordable and ``green'' shoes. The shoes will be made of sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton, linen, recycled soles and eco-smart packaging.

GE presented its hybrid electric water heater which helps save more than $250, or 345,500 won, a year, while Samsung Electronics' Hauzen Bubble Washing Machine implemented an ``ejecting bubble system'' to lessen the use of water and detergents, a big plus for the environment and also wallets.

Eco-Tips

Getting greener is easier said than done, but with the help of Internet Web sites anyone can participate. The good thing about Web sites is that everybody can find useful tips quickly and easily from video clips and even lectures.

Green Thing (www.dothegreenthing.com) offers various videos and stories from its members in 196 countries around the world. The Web site offers seven things anyone who is interested in getting greener can do, from walking and eating less meat to resisting the urge to shop and reducing wasting.

Local Web sites www.erounmall.com and www.lohashome.com also offer various ``green'' products from snacks and cosmetics to kitchen goods. Erounmall runs a sister Web site http://erounblog.tistory.com/ that shares tips about how to use the products, what other countries are doing to stay green and other advice that may be helpful in saving the environment.

Eco-Sturdy

``Eco-Sturdy'' means that many consumers are choosing sturdier products over short-term, ``pretty'' ones.

In Wales, clothing brand Howies offers a line of durable clothes called the ``Howies Hand-Me-Down.'' The brand offers jackets, backpacks and other clothing designed specifically to last 10 or more years.

In the case of cell phones, local phone makers LG and Samsung are famous for hard-core experiments that include keeping cell phones under freezing temperatures and throwing them into water. Samsung released its so-called Rugby Phone (SGH-a837) with United States-based telephone service provider AT&T. The heavy-duty phone is protected by a ``rugged design that's highly durable and damage resistant,'' perfect for those who want to carry a sturdy cell phone that lasts a long time.

Eco-Rewards

Reward strategies are always effective methods when it comes to attracting and keeping consumers, and many companies are joining in.

Local grocery stores located in department stores already offer discounts when consumers bring their own grocery bags.

Lotte Mart offers a 100 won discount for those who bring their own bags, while E-Mart has also introduced a ``Grocery Bag Only'' counter for customers who don't need plastic or paper bags.

Galleria has also joined hands with several cosmetic brands such as Origins, Aesop and Aveda for a special eco-friendly recycling project. When customers bring empty cosmetic bottles to the department store, it will exchange them for soap.

The Ministry of Gender Equality has launched an ``Eco-Mom'' project to help mothers learn to participate in simple and easy eco-friendly deeds. Visit the Web site www.women-net.net and write what you have done to keep the world green. The ministry will look into the entries and offer stamps and when the stamps reach a certain amount, the ministry will give out gifts including vacuum cleaners, keyboards and mini-ovens.

Eco-Embedded

Some may argue that the eco-trend is not just about choosing the right products and learning how to make the world greener. In order to succeed in implementing this eco-trend into our daily lives, government intervention or business plans may do the trick.

Asiana Airlines became the first carrier in Korea to display how much carbon their aircrafts emit when flying as part of the government's project of carbon labeling. Carbon labeling is when companies open up to the amount of carbon their products produce.

The government has launched the ``Green New Deal'' project aimed at nurturing and supporting industries. As part of the project, the government will soon introduce daylight saving time and also build a nationwide network of bicycle paths. Additionally, it announced plans to initiate other projects including increasing the use of renewable energy such as solar and wind power, and also replacing all the incandescent light bulbs at public facilities with more energy-efficient LED bulbs by 2012.

Eco-Edu

Smart mothers are not just nervous about their kid's talents in English and math these days. They want them to grow up in a safer and greener environment.
There are now many schools and kindergartens where young students can learn how to protect the environment and help in keeping their surroundings greener. The Korea Forestry Service is offering various programs that follow the green pace, with kindergartens aimed at teaching children more about the environment. The organization and the University of Incheon have launched a project called ``Forest and Children Education Institute,'' which will carry out classes at facilities located on Mt. Cheongnyang in Incheon.

Eco-vertising

Advertising has also joined the green trend, with many companies focusing on how to attract as many consumers as possible but not splurging on, or wasting energy.

Curb, ``a natural media company,'' offers unique ways to advertise its clients by only using sustainable media, that includes sand, grass and even snow. Many companies have jumped into this green ad campaign, including sports brands Nike and Adidas, and even local car manufacturer Kia.

Kia joined Curb and carried out a green advertisement campaign, drawing pictures and the logo of their vehicle ``Soul'' on walls and sidewalks.

By drawing pictures and carving the logos of companies in an eco-friendly way, consumers are informed, the clients get to advertise their brands and the world gets greener all at once.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

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