TerraChoice Environmental Marketing recently released its EcoMarkets 2008 Summary Report to the public and the results have to be shared. Here is a sneak-peek at some of the findings:

· Over $78 billion of purchasing power is represented in this study and the majority of survey respondents control at least half of their organization’s total procurement budget.

· Sixty-eight percent (68%) of North American organizations increased their green purchasing in the past 12 months and 91% of purchasers believe they will become more active green purchasers over the next two years.

· An overwhelming majority of survey respondents (72%) believe eco-labels contribute to better purchasing decisions.

· Purchasers identified the eco-labels they rely on most frequently to help make purchasing decisions. Results show that Energy Star (60%) and EcoLogo (27%) are the most frequently-used eco-labels.

The purpose of the EcoMarkets 2008 Summary Report is to inform our clients, partners and public audiences about the attitudes and practices of North American buyers towards environmentally preferable purchasing. The report is a public summary of research conducted in 2007 and 2008 in partnership with the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation and with the Responsible Purchasing Network – a project of the Center for a New American Dream.

To get a free copy of the EcoMarkets 2008 Summary Report, email Melissa Peneycad at ecomarkets@terrachoice.com.

From cancer-causing chemicals in hair dyes to hormone disruptors in some types of plastic water bottles, we’ve all heard about the toxic chemicals found in some of our everyday healthcare products.

Recent issues of both Women’s Health and Men’s Health covered the health impacts of environmental issues.  In a special Green Guide section found in the August 2008 issue of Men’s Health, TerraChoice was asked to give readers advice on navigating around often misleading green language on packaging such as “all natural”, “CFC-free”, “organic” and “made from recycled materials.” The May 2008 issue of Women’s Health covered TerraChoice’s 2007 study on the Six Sins of Greenwashing in which most of the consumer products surveyed were found to be making false or misleading claims about their “earth-wise” benefits.

When in doubt, look for evidence that a product meets credible environmental standards across the entire lifecycle of the product, from manufacture to disposal, such as EcoLogo and Green Seal.

Eleven influential environmental groups in Canada - including the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace Canada and Sierra Club Canada - recently put together a roadmap for change called Tomorrow Today: How Canada can make a world of difference. The document reports on seven key issues, and I highly recommend giving it a read through. The information included is generally not surprising or new, but the authors lay out detailed recommendations for what the Canadian government should do in the short term to lessen the country’s environmental impact.

Among the topics discussed in the report is a whole section on “human health and toxic chemicals”. Canadian law today does not ban certain hazardous chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and phthalates. Once again, environmental standards are far ahead of legal mandates, but if the groups behind the report have their way, Canada is on a path to bringing environmental standards like EcoLogo and the law closer together. As stated recently, EcoLogo bans PDBEs in products like office machines and phthalates in a number of floor care products. The new Tomorrow Today report recommends that the Canadian government immediately ban or phase out these chemicals in all or nearly all products. It would be a welcome move.

Meanwhile in the US, federal law is also far behind what environmental groups recommend. PBDEs, for example, are still allowed, though legislators are starting to ban them at the state level. In 2007 Washington became the first state to ban PDBEs and other states appear to be following suit.

Phthalates have been a hot-button issue lately because of a study published in Pediatrics showing elevated phthalate levels in babies’ urine. This is a concern because phthalates, which are man-made chemicals, may alter reproductive development. (Yet another example of the convergence of environmental and health issues)

Not surprisingly a lot of the focus on phthalates has been on baby care products applied directly to babies’ skin – lotions, shampoos, powders, etc. However, that’s not the only place phthalates are found. I scanned some of the EcoLogo category criteria documents and discovered that phthalates are used in some floor care products – floor finishers, sealers, restorers, etc. It seems likely that this would have less of an effect on health given that floor care products aren’t generally absorbed through the skin. However, given a choice, I’d go for a floor care product without phthalates. Check out the EcoLogo-certified list.

One other note, phthalates are also used in some electronics, including, according to Wikipedia, the iPod.