The push for more sustainability is not part of a marginal sub culture that it once was. Consumers and businesses are jumping on the environmental bandwagon at a high (and ever growing) rate these days. Still, we have a long way to go. With more and more brands claiming to be eco friendly, it’s time to talk a little bit about what that actually means beyond the marketing hype.
Related: Inequality + Creating Sustainable Change, The Dirty Side of Cotton
The graphic below breaks down what eco friendly really means and how different countries around the world stack up. Sadly, US is at the bottom eco on the list.
But we are working on it. I found it interesting – and promising – that what consumers find most discouraging about going eco is brands making false claims. At least people are becoming more aware of greenwashing and learning how to spot it.
As consumers, we have power to influence companies with our wallets, and that starts with educating ourselves. When a company claims to be eco friendly, we need to be able to look beyond the hype and determine for ourselves whether that product actually helps the planet.
You can click the graphic to view a larger version.
graphic via Column Five Media