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It should come as no surprise that 2008 saw the most products marketed as 'green' in history. What may be surprising is how many more green products there are now than ever have been before—this is no gradual incline on a sales graph. This is more like a wildly ascending boom: companies both environmentally conscious and otherwise are looking high and low to cash in on the still-burgeoning sustainable trend.
So just how infectious does the green trend continue to be?
Well, the figures from the Greenwashing Report 2009 tell quite a tale: the number of products marketed as 'green' rose an average of 79% in both 2007 and 2008—and the study found that the rate of green advertising has more than tripled since 2006. Which is no small feat, considering that advertising sales in general have plummeted since then. Of course, few of those products are actually, truly green—most are just spun to appeal to a public that increasingly considers itself environmentally aware.
Thus, enter the greenwashing.
The report, which seeks to provide consumers with data by which to judge the true environmental quality of products on the market, is filled with fascinating, telling info. For instance, it recorded 2,249 products as being marketed as green in 4,996 different ways. Want to venture a guess as to how many of them were genuinely through-and-through green?
A depressing 25. Yup, a not-so whopping 25 products put to the test and came out clean. That means roughly 98% of all green-labeled products are guilty of greenwashing.
The best advice regarding this phenomenon? For the most part, don't bother buying into this green goods trend—simply buying less, reusing, and repairing stuff you've already got are the greenest consumer moves you can make.
Check out the Greenwashing Report 2009 for more info.
More on Greenwashing:
Greenwashed Theater Charges for Being "Green"
How To Spot Greenwashing
Greenwash Watch: Fur is Green
