Jun 30 2009
NetImpact Boston - Interactive Labeling and Greenwashing
Recently we have decided to remove the word “green” from our company name and rename it to simply JumpGauge Systems; we will do it as soon as legally possible. Why? Because having “green” in the name makes you a prime target for “greenwashing” accusations.
Below is a post that Stas Anton submitted to Net Impact blog: NIBbles. You can read it and the full thread here: http://netimpactboston.org/category/nibbles/
POST BELOW IS REPRODUCED FROM NET IMPACT BOSTON BLOG
Labels are designed to help all involved: a seller can tell a story about a product, a consumer can learn about the highlights of the product. The interesting thing about eco-labeling is that it often times hurts all involved: consumers because they are misled, distributors because they lose trust, and manufacturers, because they cannot tell their side of the story in all its complexity.
During the last Clean Tech dinner our discussion revolved around what is the real impact of eco-labeling and greenwashing. For example: is it important to tell a consumer green information about a product? Do they care?
The answer is probably “yes”, as long as there is trust between a consumer and a producer. However, if there is no trust, then the “green” labels become an irritant, and a likely turn-off for a consumer. Today many companies ride the green wave, because the green market is both hot and new. This will change once the market matures and consumers become wise and more educated on the subject of green.
The universal agreement during the discussion was that more transparency increases trust and reduces the possibility of misrepresentation. The trick, of course, is to provide transparency without boring the consumer.
There is a lot to learn from the current evolution of green and eco-friendly labeling, but the sooner we figure out how to make and read them, the better off all of us will be. After all, most of us are both: consumers and producers.
