Green shoots in the European elections: does the arrival of environmentalism in politics signal an awakening of public awareness?
European elections and climate marches
As we saw in the last European elections, the French gave their support to the EELV party (Europe Ecology - The Greens) which rose to 3rd place in terms of number of votes. Is this new awareness of environmental issues the reason for the election result in France and Germany?
Around the world, the many climate change marches led by young people over the past year are also indicative of the building momentum in this area, which aims to challenge governments on what is at stake for the environment. The #CleanupChallenge is also another example of this collective awakening regarding the protection of the environment. People all over the world are taking photos of themselves on sites covered with litter, and again after having cleaned up them up.
Our consumption patterns involved
As the ecological impact of our lifestyles, consumption and production patterns become more and more visible, people are becoming more aware and are outraged. Politicians are taking both modest and more radical measures: during pollution peaks - with restrictions on the number of polluting vehicles in circulation, banning plastic, etc. Plastic, which has been and still is a development and growth driver for many companies, is today subject to criticism. Plastic bags, straws and other plastic cutlery are being banned. Hyperconsumption, obsolescence, disposable goods: our methods of consumption produce more waste than the Earth is able to absorb and than we are able to process. While awareness is increasing on an individual level, communities and companies are also setting up initiatives.
Green initiatives
The transition is ongoing, but the environmental initiatives taken by businesses are starting to be adopted by individuals, who are, in turn, changing their consumption patterns and encouraging businesses to review their business models. Increasing scrutiny into the composition of products, recycling, choosing to buy second hand instead of new, are new consumer habits that are beginning to take hold and are attracting an increasing number of people.
Our commitment Armor Office Printing
Armor Office Printing is unequivocally convinced that environmental awareness will influence all patterns of consumption, including those within our industry. This is why we encourage our partners to advertise our OWA brand, which only offers remanufactured cartridges and commits us to taking back used cartridges and returning them to circulation or processing and recycling them at the end-of-life.