There’s so much about this ‘gift’ bag we received on our flight from NYC to Moscow recently that just angers us. The brown paper back package contains corn-based toothbrush, toothpaste and earplugs. The print on the packaging tells us about Delta’s commitment to environmental mindfulness. What the heck? A few points:
* The pack also contains nylon eye mask and plastic headphones. These aren’t “Earth Friendly”
* Who really uses the toothbrush anyway? So, basically everyone on the plane is going to throw it away into landfill. Why bother?
* Wouldn’t it be better to make the stuff we really use on planes regularly with eco-materials?
* Everyone on the plane eats from the same old plastic trays with the same old plastic knives and forks and cups. We doubt that these items ever escape the landfill.
* “Environmental mindfulness” – quite frankly this phrase make us want to hunt down the design or ad agency who came up with it and burn their building down
* We’re sat on a plane going several thousand miles, burning a heck of a lot of fuel and all Delta can do is make our toothbrush green?
And probably what angers us more is the fact that they have to tell us how good they’re doing. Why can’t companies just get on with it and let it be a detail on their FAQ we can search out? And why oh why does all this greenwashing crap have to be wrapped up in a brown paper bag – is that really what green means to you Delta? Is it?
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It’s also ridiculous that any airlin tries and make environmental claims at all. The brown paper bag doesn’t exactly offset the carbon from the flight, does it?
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:01 pm
i dig your position. and to ben’s comment, i agree. however, i think the real debate here isn’t how Delta’s trying to offset its imprint, it’s how Delta’s communicating (or NOT) it’s efforts. by following the brown-bag’s link, one can find some legitimate (hopefully) programs. my problem stands with (as you mentioned) not living a green commitment in the in-flight brand experience. and yeah, i’ll say it: a corn-based toothbrush? that’s your marketing dept.’s answer to addressing green?
keep up the engaging work, Piers.
August 23rd, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Add to this all the cost and waste involved when they changed their logo a few months back when they got out of bankruptcy, and they’re talking about something they know not about!
mp/m
August 24th, 2007 at 6:22 am
I hate to have to say this (elephant in the room) but the carbon-heavy flight was financed and boarded by YOU!
We shouldn’t expect brands and institutions to be the only ones regulating their eco-evil behaviour. Of course they must, but there’s more than a whiff of irony when you make your point about the brown bag while sitting in one of the offending eco-evil machines you so loathe.
Some industries, by their very nature, are eco-evil and even if they communicate their ‘green’ policies well enough – your point Andy – we all know, deep down, that their very existence – in which ever carbon-friendly guise they put out – is harmful to the environment. Take planes for example; even high efficiency planes are heavy polluters. We should all know this. Boarding a flight makes us as bad as the plane comapnies themselves.
I enjoy your work PSFK but to really seek a solution to the environmental problems we face, we should encourage consumers to ‘do green’ themselves and sometimes this can mean – shock horror – avoiding the consumption process (planes, cars) altogether. An Orange ‘Great things happen when your phone is switched off’ campaign could work wonders for the eco branding community.
I agree Delta’s campaign is rather poor, but please, let’s not take the holier-than-thou approach here. You, me and everybody else is part of the problem.
Have a great weekend.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:01 am
Hello all,
I hate to have to say this (elephant in the room) but the carbon-heavy flight was financed and boarded by YOU!
We shouldn’t expect brands and institutions to be the only ones regulating their eco-evil behaviour. Of course they must, but there’s more than a whiff of irony when you make your point about the brown bag while sitting in one of the offending eco-evil machines you so loathe.
Some industries, by their very nature, are eco-evil and even if they communicate their ‘green’ policies well enough – your point Andy – we all know, deep down, that their very existence – in which ever carbon-friendly guise they put out – is harmful to the environment. Take planes for example; even high efficiency planes are heavy polluters. We should all know this. Boarding a flight makes us as bad as the plane comapnies themselves.
To really seek a solution to the environmental problems we face, we should encourage consumers to ‘do green’ ON themselves and sometimes this can mean – shock horror – avoiding the consumption process (planes, cars) altogether. An Orange ‘Great things happen when your phone is switched off’ campaign could work wonders for the eco branding community.
I agree Delta’s campaign is rather poor, but please, let’s not take the holier-than-thou approach here. You, me, our Apple Macs and everybody else is part of the problem.
By the way, have you ever thought of doing a video-conference? Then you could avoid Delta, planes and slow the planet’s demise all at the same time!
August 24th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Hello all,
I hate to have to say this (elephant in the room) but the carbon-heavy flight was financed and boarded by YOU!
We shouldn’t expect brands and institutions to be the only ones regulating their eco-evil behaviour. Of course they must, but there’s more than a whiff of irony when you make your point about the brown bag while sitting in one of the offending eco-evil machines you so loathe.
Some industries, by their very nature, are eco-evil and even if they communicate their ‘green’ policies well enough – your point Andy – we all know, deep down, that their very existence – in which ever carbon-friendly guise they put out – is harmful to the environment. Take planes for example; even high efficiency planes are heavy polluters. Boarding a flight carries as much responsibility as the plane company itself.
To really seek a solution to the environmental problems we face, we should encourage consumers to ‘do green’ themselves and sometimes this can mean – shock horror – avoiding the consumption process (planes, cars) altogether. An Orange ‘Great things happen when your phone is switched off’ campaign could work wonders for the eco branding community.
I agree Delta’s campaign is rather poor, but please, let’s not take the holier-than-thou approach here. You, me and our Apple Macs are all part of the problem.
Also, have you ever thought of doing a video conference? No need to travel with Delta, better for the environment and altogether, a lot cooler.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:05 am
I have to agree with D. Harrison.
Piers, Ben and Andy . . . by what means did you research, compose and post your commentary above? I’ll venture to say it was via a computer. A computer that you will dispose of in time for a newer model. Yes, it is also the same one that will release lead, mercury, cadmium, barium and phosphorous toxins into landfills.
So, that new computer of yours, its going to need power right? Well, I hope you guys or more specifically the corporations that you work for are purchasing renewable energy certificates to fire them up, right?
To quote the previous poster, “I agree Delta’s campaign is rather poor, but please, let’s not take the holier-than-thou approach here. You, me and everybody else is part of the problem.”
August 24th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Please do take a holier than thou approach because there aren’t enough people pointing this stuff out. The onus is on all airlines to seriously examine every area of their business in this way.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I liked the idea of the toothbrush – I kept it and used it at home, so it actually didn’t go to waste. I am searching for more biodegradable toothbrushes. As far as I know there are 50 million plastic toohbrushes going to landfills every year, so I am happy that a major airline is showing people something different – maybe eye opening for some. I think that it depends on people and how they are going to use it. Maybe Delta should do even more to save the earth, but they have to start somewhere. Maybe other airlines will try to compete with being more green. I think that being angry about the little things – symbols really – is wrong, after all it is better than nothing. I would rather get a toothbrush that I can use at home and prevent another plastic one going to the landfills. Yes, being angry and outraged is so much fun, but if we all get mad at Delta for doing this, then why would other airlines do anything if that just makes people mad? I would rather get mad at anyone else that doesn’t partcipate in the green movement at all. We don’t live in a perfect world and it will take time for things to change.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:23 pm