I was recently invited to a summit on the topic of sustainability in retail where one participant claimed that there was not a viable alternative to plastic bags. He went on to say that consumers would be up in arms if there was a ban on plastic bags in Metro Vancouver, citing that this was apparently the case somewhere in Ontario where this had already been attempted. I would love to know who these people are that would be so staunchly opposed to a plastic ban. Do people really boycott retailers for being given paper? Do crowds really take to the streets, protest and write letters to their political representatives for lack of plastic? Is cheap, disposable convenience written into the Charter of Human Rights somewhere?

Personally, I think the existence of this type of unwaveringly plastic-loyal consumer is rare, if not completely false, and that claims of consumer outrage are wildly misrepresented. Blaming the consumer is an easy way for retailers to side-step the issue of taking personal responsibility for creating the world we want to live in. Granted, that’s easy for me to say. I am ‘green’ when it comes to retail in every sense. I am both inexperienced and sustainable in my business. But for what it’s worth, my feeling is that we should be way further down the path as a group of retailers than we are at present.

Easy first steps toward sustainability in retail are things like getting together to endorse legislation for a recycling fee on plastic bags, if not an all-out plastic bag ban (my preference). I can’t imagine that a single consumer actually boycotted IKEA when they implemented their 3 cent fee. If anyone ever did complain, we could remind them what a bargain that bag really is! When you consider the embodied energy in a plastic bag, including everything required to extract the oil, convert it to petro-chemicals, manufacture it into a bag, then recycle it if you can, a five or even ten cent fee really doesn’t do it justice. Besides, since it is totally un-biodegradable it will last them a thousand years with proper care and maintenance!

My foray into sustainable retail began with me looking at a bill for customs and brokerage duty from UPS in the amount of $50 for on an online purchase of organic baby items that only cost me $65 in the first place. As a single mother I had been struggling to find items for the nursery and the rest of my home that would be safe and healthy for my infant daughter. I ended up sourcing many items online, doing endless hours of research. I had literally hundreds of bookmarked pages of green retailers, scientific studies, white papers and lab results, trying to uncover the truth about what’s in our homes and find healthier alternatives.

Frustrated, I decided to go into business for myself mainly so I could have access to these products at a better price and sell to my like-minded friends and associates. As I told people about my new venture, it became clear that I was far from alone and that there were hordes of people feeling the same yearning for more healthy and natural, yet stylish, options in the marketplace. Two years later, we are now moving our store into a larger space to accommodate the explosion of innovative design for the healthy home now available at a wider range of price points.

That’s how fast change can happen. Sometimes we need to sacrifice what we are for the promise of what we could become. I was a single mother with a very stable and well-paying job in the wine industry, yet I made the decision to “be the change” and share it with others and it turned out to be the biggest success of my life. Was it hard? Well, compared to what? Did some ideas bomb? I guess you could say that, but then again, the 10,000 inventions before Edison’s light bulb didn’t necessarily fail they just didn’t work 10,000 times. Was the learning curve in retail steep? OK, admittedly, yes. And it still is.

In fact, it only occurred to me fairly recently that I AM a retailer! I was so mission-driven that I didn’t realize that there was a whole other community of entrepreneurs that I could look to for support and guidance. Now I have a sticker on my cash drawer that reads: “Carmen: No margin=no mission!” It is a constant reminder to keep on top of my retail basics in order to be a truly sustainable business.

Now instead of being a frustrated consumer, I am an ‘actionary’ surrounded by a larger community of change agents than I ever imagined was out there. My fellow frustrated consumers, my resourceful retailer friends, my passionate staff and customers, my bevy of critical thinkers around me from across industries, all are working towards creating a sustainable future. The common denominators among all of these individuals are two things: 1) they read, and 2) they care. How lucky am I to be surrounded by folks like that? Who else would I want to talk to in my store all day?

You, too, can live that experience and run your business in alignment with your values if you have the courage of your convictions and perhaps even to ‘fire’ the customers who don’t follow your lead. Who needs ‘em and who wants ‘em in this bright, shiny future anyway? EVERY retailer can participate and EVERY retail employee can be vocal about their desire for a more sustainable workplace. No more excuses and blaming. Don’t know where to start? Start by reading, friend. There’s an interesting little tome you might find useful: it’s called the Internet.

Written by Carmen Spagnola, the owner of M, a sustainable bed and bath retail business.