We all know that you can go green when it comes to transportation, clothing, homes, furniture, office supplies, and body care products. Even beer has gone organic. Not that we’re complaining; green is good. In fact, next to Azavar Blue, green is our next favorite color.
But we’ve started to notice something a bit alarming: some businesses exploit consumers’ interest in supporting environmentally responsible companies. Instead of focusing on real changes, they focus on really slick marketing campaigns. Companies shouldn’t look for creative ways to classify products as “green” just so they can charge a little more – and contribute a little less.
After digging into this problem a little deeper, we discovered some interesting things. There’s actually a term for companies that spend more money and time on advertising their green efforts than on being green: Greenwashing.
Today, there are tons of companies that crusade “green campaigns” as a way to reach more customers and increase profits – without really being green at all. If you want to learn more about a particular company that claims to be green, check out organizations like Greenwashing.net and Corpwatch. They keep an eye on corporations guilty of greenwashing.
Before we end our rant, we want to make sure you also know that there are plenty of great companies that actually do make a positive environmental impact. Like Honda – the most fuel efficient car company in America. Or SC Johnson – who eliminated millions of pounds of pollutants from products like Windex and Raid. Check out other major environmentally conscious companies featured by Fortune magazine.
The bottom line: Just because a company claims to have environmentally friendly products or an overall “green” philosophy doesn’t guarantee that any real effort has been made. Do a little homework before spending extra money on products that claim to be green.
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