I know that good marketing and advertising is key to selling products, along with Brand and product placement, however yesterday, while shopping with a client at “The Great Indoors” in Scottsdale, I had to take a second and third look at a display that was obviously set up to attract someone looking for “eco” friendly products, which when examined closely, were not anywhere near “eco” friendly except for the word “eco” in the name.

A company selling floor rugs and mats, made in India, touting themselves as having “natural” fibers in the rugs and mats was as close to green washing as anything I have seen lately.

The fibers were not “organic”, recycled, or sustainable. They were simply cotton and jute…period.  Yes, these are natural, not man-made fibers, but to call their product “eco” is purely green bullshit.

Shipping rugs from India is not eco-friendly, nor sustainable, when it comes to transportation costs. The fibers were not organic, recycled, or made from sustainable materials. Cotton takes a ton of water and chemicals to produce, so that is not friendly to the planet, the people or anything else sustainable, it’s just plain old cotton. Yes, it probably gives people in India where the product is made income and a job, but that’s sustainable for India, not the rest of the planet.

So this is where the question comes in… “What is considered green, eco-friendly and sustainable when it comes to products we buy and use???

Well friends, your definition and what you are willing to support, lets the retailers know how far they can push the Shady green stuff or not.

There is no definitive, hard edged, Webster dictionary based definition, for eco-friendly, green, sustainable products, so I guess we all have to decide what we are willing to support.

I myself, do have a list of criteria for what I believe supports eco-friendly, green, and sustainable products and this list is something I refer to when I recommend, purchase or specify materials for my clients.

So here goes: I look for products that have recycled content, organic content, made in the United States or made locally if possible, use the least amount of fossil fuels in the production and transportation of the product, does the factory or manufacturing facility have a mission/vision that I support and believe in and do they walk their talk? Do they give back to their community? Do they run their operation on alternative energy? Do they recycle? How do they ship their products and in what types of containers, wrapping and shipping materials do they use? Do their products off-gas and emit unhealthy toxic stuff, or do they support the occupants who are in the spaces that I work with as a designer?

These are a few of the questions I ask before going forward with purchasing products for myself and my clients.

As you can see, there are many, many shades of green and eco-friendly to consider. So when you are out and about, shopping and making purchases for your home, work environment and life, please ask yourself some of these questions before buying items that require you to pay with your “green dollars.”

Let me know your thoughts and feedback on your experience with buying eco-friendly, green, sustainable products. Have you experienced “green washing” with products you purchased thinking they were really eco-friendly?

“Live consciously and passionately, our planet is the only one with chocolate on it!”…EcoLita