Delivering eco-friendly products, jobs

While reading the March 2008 issue of Fast Company I came across the Green Business column by David Roberts in which he talks about why companies greenwash their products. TerraChoice Environmental Marketing defines greenwashing as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

Roberts cites research by TerraChoice claiming that 99.9% of all companies’ claims that their products are sustainable are either false or misleading. Roberts said that of 1,018 products reviewed by TerraChoice that claimed to be eco-friendly, only one did not commit some form of greenwashing.

Roberts further writes that more than half of the eco-labels, according to TerraChoice, promote a narrow environmentally friendly quality, but fail to mention the not-so-friendly activities conducted by these companies to achieve this designation.

While manufacturers and retailers push their environmentally friendly products, companies are having a hard time finding employees who are trained to fill “green jobs.” A July 6, 2007, article in the San Francisco Business Times reports that companies are finding it difficult to fill positions that are being created to promote their sustainable business practices. While these companies are searching for qualified candidates, more graduates are seeking jobs with companies that have eco-friendly policies, said Lindsey Pollack, author of Getting From College to a Career.

Don’t expect this interest in eco-friendly products or companies to end anytime soon. Online retailer PriceGrabber.com reports that 71% of its surveyed customers said it was important to purchase eco-friendly products.

-- Dave

Comments

[Linda Frank]

"Greenwashing" is simply the latest incarnation of spinning. Ad agencies and pr firms have been running this subliminal b.s. up the flagpole almost as long as politicians have been inventing new ways to 'sling the cow chips' to delude potential voters into believing them chocolate cookies.

Ironically, despite Internet accessibility of information or clarification to the contrary, even the most nimble-fingered consumer, eager to "Go Green", will continue to devour the 'Greenwashed-chocolate cookies' with a self-righteous, yet well-intentioned, but naive appetite: An eating regime the greenwashers bank on as a steady diet of income from potential clients.

P.T. Barnum's philosophy is alive and well and now...it's just going green.

BTW: Interesting juxtaposition of that BASF ad in the sidebar here when I first read this entry. Makes one wonder just how much 'green laundering' they pony up to their spinners? :)

Keep up the great source of information via this blog and newsletters. L.F.