greenliving
website information or third-party
certification. He notes that, “Dishon-
esty occurs most commonly when
a company claims that a product is
certified by an outside organization,
and it simply isn’t.”
terrachoice research
identified six common
environmental
shortcomings:
1. Sin of the
Hidden Trade-off
Characterized 57 percent of all envi-
ronmental claims studied. Suggests
that a product is “green,” based on a
single environmental attribute, or just
the six sins of
a few, while ignoring larger issues.
A prevalent example is “energy-effi-
greenwashing
cient” electronics that contain hazard-
ous materials. Comments McDougall,
“It’s like a magician drawing your
by susie ruth
attention to his left hand, so that you
can’t see what his right hand is doing.”
g
reen marketing, the new sweetheart of American business, is on the rise,
2. Sin of No Proof
as people seek to leverage their spending as part of an environmental
commitment. “Today, consumers are inundated with products that
Occurred in 26 percent of environ-
make green claims,” observes Scott McDougall, president of TerraChoice
mental claims in the study. A typical
Environmental Marketing. The problem is that, “Some are accurate, certified
example is personal care products
and verifiable, while others are just plain fibbing, to sell products,” he says.
labeled, “Certified organic,” but which
McDougall bases these conclusions upon his firm’s survey of 1,018 products
carry no verifiable certification.
at six leading North American big box stores, where product labels made 1,753
environmental claims. But only one product lived up to its claims, the other 99
percent were guilty of at least one of what McDougall dubs the Six Sins of Green-
3. Sin of Vagueness
washing™. With a single exception, all the labels proved either false or mislead-
True of 11 percent of environmen-
ing.
tal claims monitored.
“Businesses are struggling with challenges to communicate meaningfully
Claims are poorly
and honestly in this arena,” empathizes McDougall.
defined or too
We’re at the point where the powerful convergence of consumers and
broad to be
commerce can use market competition and free enterprise to pull our economy
meaning-
toward social responsibility and sustainability. Educating consumers about
ful and will
patterns of environmental whitewashing will help people to buy green with
likely be mis-
confidence.
understood
To start, “Consumers are owed evidence about the life-cycle of every prod-
by consum-
uct,” says McDougall. At a minimum, this must be available through company
ers. Prod-
We’re at the point where the powerful convergence of consumers and commerce can use
market competition and free enterprise to pull our economy toward social responsibility and sustainability.
18 Phoenix
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44