Can You Guess How Many Eco-Friendly and Go Green Products Are Frauds?
So how many Eco-friendly, all natural or go green claims from manufacturers out there are frauds? Fifteen percent, forty percent or sixty percent? Terra Choice Environmental Marketing reviewed over 1,000 products last year and found that 99% of their Eco-friendly, go green claims were not valid.
Isn't that fraud? Well the problem could be that there is not enough oversight or regulation to ensure that they are living up to their claims.
All but one of them committed what is called the "six sins of greenwashing".
A very insightful article was recently published in Fast Company Magazine by David Roberts in which he exposes the reason behind companies "green washing" their products.
When we read a label to find out if it is environmentally friendly, non animal tested, natural or free of chemicals, it's easy to see a nice little Eco-friendly icon or the recycled logo and assume that because that exists, they must be telling the truth or they wouldn't be allowed to print it.
The truth is, the regulations are few and far between so it's easy to get away with stating one thing while omitting the deeper darker greenwashing sins.
A good example would be to use the recycled icon on a product and then having employees travel around to market it in automobiles that get 15-20 mpg.
So in realty, the product is not so eco-friendly at all.
Believe it or not, it's happening every day.
Until the public demands more honesty in marketing eco-friendly go green products, not much is likely to change.
One thing to consider is that our government does not make it profitable for companies to truly go green or become Eco-friendly.
The costs involved with companies going green, keep many of them from being able to change the way they produce and market their goods and services.
Governmental incentives for becoming a true Eco-friendly company are not on the top of most politicians lists.
It is therefore up to each of us as conservators of the one and only earth we have, to get behind our planet.
We must send a loud unanimous voice to our political leaders telling them that unless they make wise tuff decisions that are positive in protecting earth and it's inhabitants, they won't stay in office.
So the next time you buy a product and make a conscious decision to select the Eco-friendly green one, take a little time and explore what's behind that pretty little Eco-friendly or recycled icon.
What you find may change the way you shop.
Isn't that fraud? Well the problem could be that there is not enough oversight or regulation to ensure that they are living up to their claims.
All but one of them committed what is called the "six sins of greenwashing".
A very insightful article was recently published in Fast Company Magazine by David Roberts in which he exposes the reason behind companies "green washing" their products.
When we read a label to find out if it is environmentally friendly, non animal tested, natural or free of chemicals, it's easy to see a nice little Eco-friendly icon or the recycled logo and assume that because that exists, they must be telling the truth or they wouldn't be allowed to print it.
The truth is, the regulations are few and far between so it's easy to get away with stating one thing while omitting the deeper darker greenwashing sins.
A good example would be to use the recycled icon on a product and then having employees travel around to market it in automobiles that get 15-20 mpg.
So in realty, the product is not so eco-friendly at all.
Believe it or not, it's happening every day.
Until the public demands more honesty in marketing eco-friendly go green products, not much is likely to change.
One thing to consider is that our government does not make it profitable for companies to truly go green or become Eco-friendly.
The costs involved with companies going green, keep many of them from being able to change the way they produce and market their goods and services.
Governmental incentives for becoming a true Eco-friendly company are not on the top of most politicians lists.
It is therefore up to each of us as conservators of the one and only earth we have, to get behind our planet.
We must send a loud unanimous voice to our political leaders telling them that unless they make wise tuff decisions that are positive in protecting earth and it's inhabitants, they won't stay in office.
So the next time you buy a product and make a conscious decision to select the Eco-friendly green one, take a little time and explore what's behind that pretty little Eco-friendly or recycled icon.
What you find may change the way you shop.
