News: Green incentives launch for consumers and staff

Green Rewards, a web-based shopping portal, has announced that it is launching on June 16, offering people a chance to earn points for buying green products and services.

Described as the UK’s first all-green loyalty scheme, it will feature over 500 specially chosen ecologically reviewed green products for sale from all major online retailers.

The rewards will be a range of green products and services, including green experiences and green charity gifts.

Green Rewards is “in advanced negotiation” with a number of leading companies in the financial services, hotel, retail and energy sectors to create both staff and consumer incentive programmes.

The company will provide a full loyalty scheme as well as offer an owner-branded green loyalty scheme to customers of third-party retailers and service providers.

“We are developing a much broader offering than other green incentive sites which are simply shopping portals,” explained managing director Stephen Carson. “ Green Rewards is about a wider engagement through a full loyalty programme where we encourage and reward our consumers to engage in a greener lifestyle.”

Green Rewards was co-founded by Graham Simmonds, environmentalist and chief executive of the charity Trees for Cities. “My vision was for a green loyalty scheme that encourages rather than harangues consumers,” he said. “Green Rewards is offering a ‘green’ carrot rather than the stick.”

“Looking at other schemes it suddenly seemed rather strange to reward customers with free flights, patio heaters and the like when we all know the ice caps are melting faster this week than they were last. Hence the creation of a scheme where all the rewards are eco-friendly and independently vetted as such.”

This is achieved via Green Rewards’ sustainability advisory panel, an independent group of five leading environmentalists, which advises the business on the eco-credentials of its potential rewards partners and incentives.

Carson joined in April from Procter & Gamble, while chairman Andrew Seth previously held the position of chairman and CEO of Lever UK. Loyalty expertise is provided by Tony Clarke, until recently Group managing director at ICLP. Co-founder Richard Hammond is managing director of Spirit Advertising.

“We will announce our first corporate incentive partners soon,” said Carson. “We intend to be a beacon of eco-integrity and a demonstration of the way in which green principles can engage with mainstream business to the benefit of both consumers and the planet.”