More and more companies are coming out with their own green product lines: JCPenny’s Simply Green products, Home Depot’s Eco Options category and Clorox’s Green Works line, just to name a few. The idea is to offer a range of eco-friendly items across product categories while scoring corporate branding points at the same time. Brilliant. But how do consumers determine how green a product line is overall? Maybe a store’s green jeans are certifiably eco-friendly, but its furniture is questionable. How do shoppers know what standard a company is imposing when it labels a product green?

There is nothing wrong with combining green marketing and corporate branding, but corporate labels can’t take the place of certified ecolabels. Retailers are in the business of selling products, not setting environmental standards. Ideally companies should be creating their new green product lines with products that meet the criteria of independent certifiers like EcoLogo. The corporate branding can stay, but it should be accompanied by third-party verification. Then consumers will know when they’re really buying green.

Posted by Mari in Green products, Marketing