The Green Rocket

1. First of all, tell us more about yourself and Go Green Etc. What does it do, how and why did it get started, and what is the vision behind it?

My name is Beth; I live in So Cal with my husband and our three children along with a myriad of pets. The concept behind Go Green Etc is very simple, introduce people who want to purchase eco friendly products with people who sell eco friendly products. The way we accomplished this was by creating an online mall, where people could go buy or sell green products. Go Green Etc was founded out of my frustration that I could not find the right earth friendly products in my local stores. I know there is a demand for these products, so the team that I work with at Go Green Tube, decided we would build an online green mall.

2. Run us through the process to create a store. How are sellers reviewed? Similarly, the website explains that one or more of the following qualities must be an element of the product for it to be considered “eco-friendly”: Reuseable, made from recycled material, Carbon Neutral, Vegan, All Natural.

If a person is interested in opening their own shop, they simply register. Once the shop is registered the seller is able to upload their products along with the description, photos and a video of the product. At that point the seller will tell us what makes the product eco friendly. Once the shop is opened we take a look at their products to ensure that they are indeed a product that is a good choice for the environment.

How does Go Green Etc. ensure that sellers are not simply “green washing” on these qualities to reach eco consumers (to see how green-washing could work with these qualities, see this article by Terra Choice Environmental Marketing, and provided on the Go Green Etc. website)

3. Go Green Etc. emphasizes the environmentally friendly nature of shopping online because there is less driving to/from stores and less of a footprint from not having the physical space of a conventional store. What is your opinion on the environmental footprint of shipping?

Shipping is a huge concern for us at Go Green Etc that is why we have our charity program. Right now we give 10% of our profits to CarbonFund.org, to purchase carbon credits. This is a way to offset the damage done by shipping products.

4. Do you provide incentives for consumers to purchase from more locally located stores or to buy in bulk to minimize shipping? If so, how? If not, would you consider doing so and how would you approach it?

At this point we do not offer any incentive for purchasing locally, however in the future this is something we would be very interested in to implementing.

5. Why do you think Go Green Etc. provides an important service for individuals?

I truly believe people want to do the right thing for the environment, both on a global level and the environment of their home. Go Green Etc, is an easy way for people to find green products that they might not find in their neighborhood.

6. The website outlines that 10% of GoGreenEtc.’s profits will be donated to charity (yay!). How do you select the charities? More specifically, can charitable organizations contact GoGreenEtc. to be considered and/or can shoppers or sellers recommend a cause?

Back when Go Green Tube was founded we developed a great relationship with CarbonFund.org so it was natural that we would start with them as our charity. Our goal is to have several charities that focus on the environment in different ways. Right now we are interested in hearing what charities our sellers and shoppers would like us to donate to.

7. While the focus of this interview is on Go Green Etc – the mall – we want to talk about you as an eco-entrepreneur for a moment. You also run a green video community called Go Green Tube, can you summarize that project for us as well?

Go Green Tube is a wonderful website, where people can post videos that they have made about going green, or watch videos about going green. Every time a video is watched one carbon credit is purchased through Carbonfund.org. We have been so lucky to form some great partners, such as National Wildlife Foundation and the Sierra Club. I am really proud of Go Green Tube, and would invite you to check it out.

8. How has your interactions on Twitter helped advance your projects — ie: through marketing, resource sharing, inspiration or otherwise?

My interaction with Twitter has been huge, but I must admit Twitter did not come easy to me. By nature, I just don’t talk a lot so Twitter was very foreign to me, I was so lucky that a great guy named Paul Smith @greensmith took me by the hand and answered all of my questions. Now I can’t imagine running any company without Twitter.

9. What advice would you offer to individuals interested in the green movement on creating and sustaining a project or venture?

If you are interested in creating any project or venture you must always start by writing it out. Set your goals, and then write out the steps to make your goal happen I would suggest finding a person who has been successful at business and ask them to take a look at your plan. Starting a new venture is scary and hard, ask for help from people around you and on Twitter, you will surprised what great advise you will get this way.

10. Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about either project, yourself or anything else?

I would like to offer five months free to any of your readers who would like to open their own shop, just use coupon code “Rocket”.

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