In our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) careers we have worked with companies that are or wish to be more responsible sourcers. They care about what is in their products, the ethics of the supply chain and manufacturing practices. That’s a side of CSR that many forget- that CSR is about more than community donations. It’s also the method of getting a product made and to market. Socially responsible businesses ask a simple question: Do you know what’s in your …
- Coffee cup?
- Pet’s food?
- Cleaning products?
- Prescription medicine?
- Investment portfolio?
The answers also activate the consumer to make an educated, and ideally, more responsible choice. That is how CSR affects ROI – when consumers are educated and are presented options that reach beyond regulations or minimum standards.
Here is a beautiful video about Intel’s initiative that answers – do you know what’s in your computer and explains their work to manufacture their products with “conflict free minerals.” It’s a natural for Intel whose tag line already is “look inside.” It’s worth noting that the effort began in a workplace where employees were challenged to do the right thing before conflict free minerals rules were written into Dodd Frank, a regulation still pending court challenges.