Seeing past that fresh coat of green paint
Of course it’s not easy to agree on what really is green, but there is some guidance on what definitely isn’t.
Last December, TerraChoice (the environmental marketing firm that runs the federal government’s Ecologo labelling system) released a study called
1. The Hidden Trade-Off: e.g. “Energy-efficient” electronics that contain hazardous materials. 998 products and 57% of all environmental claims committed this Sin.
2. No Proof: e.g. Shampoos claiming to be “certified organic,” but with no verifiable certification. 454 products and 26% of environmental claims committed this Sin.
3. Vagueness: e.g. Products claiming to be 100% natural when many naturally-occurring substances are hazardous, like arsenic and formaldehyde. Seen in 196 products or 11% of environmental claims.
4. Irrelevance: e.g. Products claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago. This Sin was seen in 78 products and 4% of environmental claims.
5. Fibbing: e.g. Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognized environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal. Found in 10 products or less than 1% of environmental claims.
6. Lesser of Two Evils: e.g. Organic cigarettes or “environmentally friendly” pesticides, This occurred in 17 products or 1% of environmental claims.
Yet even if we manage to avoid these ‘sins’, the whole idea that we can save the planet by shopping is still a little suspect. We all have a need for food, clothing, shelter and conviviality that must be met (preferably with a bit of style), and I think it’s great that we’re starting to pay more attention to the social and ecological connections behind the products on the shelves. But in many cases, less is still more.
At WWF, we’re tried to map out what this looks like, and The Good Life is part of that effort, but are open to suggestions for how to do it better.
by Keith Stewart