Sustainable growth

According to a 2014 Nielsen survey, 42 percent of North Americans are willing to spend more for products and services from companies committed to positive social and environmental impact. That’s up from 35 percent in 2011.

And it’s becoming the wave of the future. More than half of those willing to pay extra for sustainable products worldwide are Millennials (those ages 18 to 34).

Alec McClennan, founder of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care in Cleveland, says he has noticed that increased interest in sustainable practices over the past few years. “There’s a whole range of services being offered out there that range in degrees of sustainability and so one tip I have would be to be clear about what you’re doing for people,” he says. “I think it’s starting to become in people’s consciousness that what they do in their yard can have an effect.”

Talking it out with the customer is important for McClennan who says the best way to think about starting a sustainable program is to simply ask customers what they want. “Just ask,” he says. “You might be surprised at how many people are interested.”

McClennan says sometimes lawn and landscape professionals shy away from sustainable offerings because they’re afraid to imply that their current program isn’t the right way to do things, but it’s about giving the customers what they want. “I don’t think that anyone got into the green industry because they just love using chemicals,” he says. “It’s not what drew anyone to the green industry. It’s because you like working outside with plants and people.”

And McClennan says there isn’t any particular trick to finding customers who want a greener program. “It’s really the typical lawn care client,” he says. “It’s not that different of a lawn care market but they’re more environmentally aware, I would say.”

And while his sustainable program is a little more expensive than a traditional one, people are willing to pay to feel good about what they’re putting on their lawns, McClennan says.

Good Nature focuses on plant health, using good cultural practices to cut down on the amount of chemicals needed for a healthy lawn. Technicians use compost and compost tea to feed the soil naturally, cutting down on fertilizer applications, which helps reduce algae bloom in nearby Lake Erie.

The company also does a lot of overseeding and encourages a higher mowing height to crowd out annual weeds like crabgrass. He says about 20 percent of his customers use chemical applications to control weeds in their lawns.

“No two customers are exactly the same in terms of what they’re looking for,” he says.