What to Look for When “Going Green”

Everybody knows there’s a lot of talk going on about what’s really “green” and what’s not. How do you decide between options? How do you know if what you’re paying for is actually green? We’re not going to try to convince you why you should go green—you’re already on the Down to Earth website, which is dedicated to sustainability in the Northwest. So chances are you’re already convinced. What we are going to do is give you some advice if you’re a little confused by what is and isn’t really considered green. First off, there are three things to consider when going green… What are my values? What do I want to achieve? Who do I want to promote? The first question: what are my values? We’re not talking about everything under the sun that you value. I’m talking about what we like to call your ‘Verde Values.’ What do you value most when you think about going green? Is it the environment, your health, or maybe it’s the cost benefits? Most people fall into one of these three categories—they may care strongly about all three—but one element ultimately outweighs the others. Making this distinction about your Verde Values will help you distinguish what it is that you’re looking for in green products and help you to become a more saavy green shopper. Those who are inclined to value environmental aspects of going green should consider the following, and the overall impact on the environment, when choosing products: Manufacturing Processes Packaging Toxicity Carbon Footprint Fair Trade adherence Sustainability Those who are inclined to value the health benefits of going green should consider the following, and the overall impact on personal health, when choosing products: Ingredients Toxicity Those who are inclined to value the cost benefits of going green should consider the following, and the overall impact of their usability, when choosing products: Materials Used What’s in Grandma’s Cupboard Ingredient Effectiveness Next, you should think about what you want to achieve when going green. What I mean by this is taking a step back and looking at the big picture. Do you want to have a home that is powered mostly by solar energy? Do you want to have an office that reduces its carbon footprint by 50% or more? Do you want to have a room in your house, or your whole house, that is a refuge from chemical laden non-green products? It’s important to define the end goal when thinking about what you will need and how you will get there. Now, you can put your values and goals together to get a better idea of what products you’ll need, and you have already started the process of planning how you will achieve these goals. Finally, you should always consider when going green: who do I want to promote? As mentioned in the previous column (“Open the Door to Greener Living”) a term called ‘ecolabeling’ is frequently used in the green product industry. It’s used to describe what some companies are doing, as a marketing ploy, to sell more products without actually being very green at all. A good strategy is to always research the manufacturer of the product before you buy, like we do here at www.GreenCupboards.com. Read an article or two about them from the news, visit their website, and read their “about us.” Chances are you’ll find companies that aren’t green at all, but are just beginning to offer some specific lines of products that are green, or a product here and there which claims to be green. Is this really who you want to be supporting? In the long run, economics tells us that consumer demand is what drives production. So, case in point, when you purchase a product that is $.50 to $1 cheaper at the store just because it’s cheaper, without doing any background research, what are you telling marketers? You prefer cheaper products even if they’re not so green. So what will they produce? Use your buying power to leverage the current manufactures out there today to, in effect, ask them to create products that are truly green. We hope this week’s column was of interest and useful. Please leave comments and suggestions.