Green Washing or Green Manufacturing?

Despite the slowing US economy, the 2009 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey conducted on January 29-30, 2009 showed that 34 percent of Americans were more likely to buy environmentally responsible products and another 44 percent will not change their environmental shopping habits. Surveys like this one are causing manufacturing companies of all sizes to “go green.” The problem is some of these companies are green washing their products. This green washing makes it very difficult for consumers to know if the products are truly green or if the manufacturer is just jumping on the green bandwagon.

For 2009 Exclusively Green, LLC wanted to do something new and different to help separate the truly green manufactures from the ones who are doing green washing. Exclusively Green, LLC knows that all of the products they carry are green and better for the environment then traditional products, but they wanted to know just how green they are. In order to learn more about the manufacturers and quickly inform their customers Exclusively Green, LLC created a “green scale.” From now on, every manufacture Exclusively Green, LLC carries will have a green scale rating. This scale has a rating from 0-100.

Traditional companies will receive near a zero if they were to be graded. So, when a manufacturer receives an 80, please do not think that they have a low score. For this scale, that is a GREAT score! Where the products are made and how the employees are treated is a major part of the final grade. This hurt some of the manufacturers final grade because they do not produce their products in the USA or they do not offer healthcare to their employees. Over all this was very informative for Exclusively Green, LLC and they hope for you as well.