Posted by Mike Smith :: May 17, 2008 @ 10:30 am

Marketing of “green” products and services is increasing perhaps more than any other segment. While many of these products and services are legitimately geared towards green initiatives, others are just coming along for the ride.

You may have heard that “green is the new black.” The difference is that there are no shades of black, but there are many shades of green. That’s because the use of the word “green” is not regulated in advertising. Some industries have made the investment to develop standards, so that only those members meeting the standard can use the industry green seal of approval, but such programs are not yet widespread. Even where they do exist, members not meeting the standard could still call themselves green.

Sometimes it can be hard to divine a company’s true intention. Some people might not even care what the reason is, as long as some good comes from it. So it may be more important to consider whether or not the greening of a product is actually beneficial to the environment or rather just an attempt to capitalize on the latest fad.

All of this matters because you, as a consumer, may consider the relative environmental friendliness of a company when making purchasing decisions. Regardless of your opinions about the importance of environmental protection, I’m sure that most would agree that all other things being equal, choosing a more environmentally friendly product is a good decision. Such a decision can be skewed if green marketing tricks you into choosing a product that isn’t really as green as it seems.

Whether you choose green products only when they are comparable in price to non-green alternatives or are willing to pay a premium for them, don’t blindly accept claims of a product being green. If you are going to be spending money on such products and services, you should first consider whether it’s the actual product, or just the marketing, that’s green.