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It's not easy buying green
story Flux research editors | flash Jackson Hager
Our eco-savvy age group is bombarded with messages pressuring us to save the environment while encouraging us to fill our apartments and our lives with more stuff. In 2007, the world’s population emitted 19 billion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide, consumed 9.1 percent of the earth’s fresh water, and continued to deplete available energy resources at a rate of 4.1 percent. Many corporations would like to have you think your next purchase will help reverse those statistics.
Don’t let them fool you; “going green” takes more than an advertising campaign. We surveyed products that might be found in our next apartments, considering everything from marketing tactics (advertising with green jargon like “compostable” and “recycled” and boasting about energy ratings to boost perceived sustainability) to manufacturing procedures.
Discover which companies are guilty of greenwashing (in red) — turning the green trend into a financial game with big promises, vague claims, and no real intent to protect the earth — and those that really do strive to reduce their carbon footprints (in green).