Going Green: Is it For Real?

I left a comment last night on ta post over at manilatimes.net.  It's about Unilever and its supposed shift to greener operations.

I personally do not believe the company has done enough to offset the negative impact of its operations on the environment. There's still much to be done.

In an attempt to add a dissenting view of the press release entitled "Unilever Philippines: Green makes good business", I posted a little comment.  Unfortunately, up to now my comment appears to be still under moderation. It's also possible it was deemed inappropriate.

While thinking about my comment's status, I realized that big companies like Unilever clearly have some control over how they are reported on media. The possibility is very real considering that these big companies are among the biggest sources of revenue of media companies.

Just imagine how it would be for a media company to keep a balanced view. Can you imagine the Kapuso and Kapamilya networks going all out in airing negative reports about companies such as Univeler. If they were to do such a thing they could easily lose out on much needed advertising revenue from these companies.

Anyway, here's an excerpt from that press release:

Greener operations. One notable effort is the company’s wastewater treatmentfacility in its manufacturing plant in Paco, Manila which has been in place since 1994. Wastewater from plant operations go through several processes—including a bath of germ-killing natural bacteria—to make sure that nontoxic residue reaches the nearby 25-kilometer waterway which ultimately flows into the Pasig River. The whole system is so effective that, in fact, the treated water also becomes the habitat of the company’s koi fishes. Unilever Philippines has also heavily invested in solid waste management. In 2003, it began Project Eliminate to minimize the need for an on-site landfill. Through conversion and recycling programs, the company completely cleared the dumpsite within two years, and now uses the extra space as a parking lot. Recently, the company won the Grandmaster award at the country’s first Zero Basura Olympics for another one of its solid waste management initiatives. The project makes use of “green” technology to convert waste sachets and other plastic packaging materials into powder material used in making bricks and pavers that are then donated to Gawad Kalinga to help build homes. 

So what's your take on this issue? Do you agree that Unilever's operations are "green" enough?

I wonder what Greenpeace has to say about this.