Do We Really Need the Good Housekeeping Green Seal for Eco Retail Products?
Austin, Texas: Proctor and Gamble is putting a lot of marketing dollars behind Good Housekeeping’s Green Seals, which it had launched a few years back, according to a recent article in GreenBiz.com.
I think it is a noble move to have a well respected third party determine the level of green in a product. It is always nice to understand whether a product is sustainable, uses organic and all natural ingredients – or is trying to disguise their product with greenwashing.
However, as I have mentioned before, the “unintended” consequence of these competing symbols often end up leading to greater confusion.
It is too easy to come up with graphics similar to the Good Housekeeping Green Seals designs- that will falsely portray a product as green when it is not.
I argue for one set of industry standards for green marketing claims.
Just one.
Perhaps now that Proctor and Gamble is using it, giant retailers like Walmart will insist that these, and only these, symbols be used to identify green products.
However, until that time comes, caveat emptor.
Let the buyer beware.
Be skeptical of green symbols.
Do your due diligence and research what green claims a product is making and how they determined its level of “greenness”.
Has it certified by an INDEPENDENT lab?
What is the track record of the company making the claim.
Is their a QR code that easily takes you to a page that explains how they determined the green value of their claim?
Don’t accept green claims at face value until you have done your research.
Ask questions.
Demand more of a company’s claim than just a green symbol.
An educated consumer is still the best consumer.
Let’s put an end to dozens of green symbols that only obfuscate the truth.
Let’s say NO to ambiguity and insist on one set of standards for all green claims.
