Of course, the program isn't perfect. For one thing, it costs 99 cents to enroll.

For 99 cents, members of CVS' ExtraCare rewards program will get a leaf-shaped Green Bag Tag card, which can be attached to a cloth bag or knapsack. When they complete their purchases, the card will be scanned. After every fourth shopping trip, a $1 Extra Buck coupon will be printed on their receipt.

Of course, CVS can hand out more generous credits since not all ExtraCare Bucks end up being redeemed, but it's a nice incentive for loyal customers and loyal reusable bag users.

CVS stores will offer money back for reusable bags [Providence Journal] (Thanks, hennypenny!)

(Photo: bubble dumpster)

Here are some of the actions they asked about:

• Drinking tap water instead of bottled
• Running full loads in the dishwasher
• Using a programmable thermostat
• Buying fresh food from a farmer's market
• Line-drying clothes

Of course, household behaviors that save both money and resources are a classic win-win situation, so we're not complaining. But how do you save money in ways that also save energy or waste, and could also be perceived as green?

Shades of green [Consumer Reports]
By the Numbers: U.S. consumers adopting some greener behaviors [Consumer Reports Home blog]

(Photo: miemo)

The problems with Good Housekeeping's Green Seal put Method's seal-shunning into sharp relief. Any green-label program method uses can and will easily be co-opted by the competition. That's why its products bear a seal of sorts that only claims to be natural and nontoxic, two terms with relatively immutable definitions. Competitors trying to move the goalposts will have a hard time borrowing those words without making real changes. Yet even though companies like GE and Method have proven sustainability efforts can be profitable and accessible, companies like General Mills and Proctor & Gamble retain a mindset that prevents them from seeing sustainability as a win-win, despite earning green labels in certain areas. Earning or appointing yourself a "green seal" represents an easy way out, while hiding the truth in a hollow phrase. So a green seal that can only be earned by companies advertising in Good Housekeeping is, as a means of comparison, unreliable, and at worst, completely so. With pay-to-play built right in, the Green Good Housekeeping Seal can only raise more questions about products than it will answer.

And yet, this seal will be a handy shortcut for well-meaning customers.

The Deal Behind the New Good Housekeeping Seal [The Big Money]

Fortunately, there are web sites that have done the research for you. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers tips for making sense of "green" marketing claims, and the FTC is even considering strengthening their Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (Green Guides) to prevent companies from using eco-friendly claims to market products that aren't the Eco-Labels Center from Consumer Reports also evaluates the claims made about supposedly planet-friendly products.

How to spot fake green claims [ShopSmart]
Sorting Out 'Green' Advertising Claims [Federal Trade Commission]
Greener Choices - Eco-Labels Center [Consumer Reports]

PREVIOUSLY:
Nearly all "Eco" Product Claims Are Misleading

(Photo: Pylon757)

But back to the baking soda. The Omaha World-Herald tells you how to be like MacGyver by using baking soda and other household items to make some DIY cleaners.

The story's baking soda tips:

Baking soda is nontoxic, earth-friendly, multi-purpose and cheap. A few ideas to keep your home baking soda fresh include:

* Sprinkle onto carpets and rugs, let sit for 15 minutes then vacuum away dirt and odors.
* Add 1/4 cup to a load of laundry to help remove grease and freshen clothes.
* Sprinkle in the sink and bathtub, make a paste with water and use as a safe, gentle scouring powder.
* Spill some grease during cooking? Put a bit of baking soda on the mess, rub with a dry cloth and rinse with water.

If you have any cheap, McGyver-like cleaning techniques, commence scrubbing them into the comments. And use some elbow grease.

Cleaning tips are eco-friendly, money-saving [Omaha World-Herald]
(Photo: Maulleigh)

"Nobody else could pull this off," said Michelle Harvey at Environmental Defense Fund, one of the groups involved in the creation of the index.

The question, of course, is whether even Wal-Mart can make it happen.

[...]

Wal-Mart plans to begin by asking its more than 100,000 suppliers around the world to answer 15 simple questions about the sustainable practices of their companies. Questions include "Have you set publicly available greenhouse gas reduction targets? If yes, what are those targets?"

The first set of questions focus on four main areas, including "energy and climate, material efficiency, natural resources, and people and community."

The rating system is certainly ambitious, and if successful, would empower consumers to judge a product's green credentials at a glance. Expect the ratings to appear on products sometime within the next five years.

At Wal-Mart, Labeling to Reflect Green Intent [The New York Times]
Wal-Mart To Become Green Umpire [The Big Money]
Walmart's Sustainable Product Index aims to develop green rating [Consumer Reports]
(Photo: genebob)

When reader Rob Dewhirst visited CVS yesterday to buy a tube of toothpaste, the clerk rolled up a 40 inch receipt and handed it to him. Says Rob: "Most of it is coupons for junk we would never buy at CVS, and on every coupon they print inches of the same legal disclaimer, so it's printed about 6 times on the same receipt."

If only CVS would cover its husky-sized receipts with ads for "green" products. That would be perfect.

Carrie McLaren & Jason Torchinsky are coeditors of Ad Nauseam: A Survivor's Guide to American Consumer Culture. In previous lives, they worked together on the hopelessly obscure and now defunct Stay Free! magazine.

"We're changing from a company focused mainly on trucks and SUVs to a company with a balanced product lineup that includes even more high-quality, fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids and all-electric vehicles," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas, in a statement.
...
"As customers move to more fuel-efficient vehicles, we'll be there with more of the products they really want," Fields said.

In the works are two different versions of the Ford Focus, one gas and one electric/battery. There are also plans to bring back the Fiesta. Are you wanting these cars?

Ford plant dumps SUVs, goes small [CNN]

It's important to note that Buy.com is a member of the Green Design Institute, and while they didn't fund this particular research, they have contributed money to a general research fund—so take the report with a grain of salt. And since Buy.com doesn't use warehouses, it's hard to apply the results to an e-tailer like Amazon.com. Sandy Bauers on Phill.com writes,

So this isn't an ironclad dictum. I view it more as information to factor in, measuring my circumstances against their statistical average: someone who drives 7.5 miles to a store in a car that gets 22.5 miles per gallon and picks up one or two items.

So if I'm in my Prius and I'm only going to detour a mile out of my way to stop at King of Prussia Mall on my way home, I'm good to go.

But not long ago I considered driving to a York County nursery to get a special dwarf fig tree for my edible landscaping plan. Scratch that. I'll order online instead.

Meanwhile, there's one more variable. The researchers concluded the best way to make either system more efficient was simply to buy more.

"GreenSpace: E-tail or retail kinder to Earth? They did the math" [Philly.com]
(Photo: McPig)

1. Air Fresheners: Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon vinegar with 2 cups of hot water. Pour into a spritzer and follow the dog.

2. Detergent Enhancers: Add 1/2 cup baking or washing soda to your detergent mix. It'll reduce the amount of detergent you need and add minerals that soften water. For liquid detergent, add the 1/2 cup at the start of the wash. For powdered detergent, add it at the start of the rinse cycle.

3. Super Cleaners: Add 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a quart of water and spray the mix onto your dirty windows. To reduce streaks, put down your paper towels and wipe the windows with newspaper.

4. Stain Removers: Try cream of tartar. Yes, cream of tartar. The bleach alternative removes spots from aluminum cookware and kills germs. You should be able to find it in supermarkets and drug stores, if it's not already on your shelf.

5. Grease Dissolvers: Scrub your countertops with a baking soda and liquid soap mix, but don't make more than you need because the mix will quickly solidify. For greasy ovens, mix 1 cup of baking soda with a 1/4 cup washing soda and add water until you get a paste. Apply it to the oven and let it seep in overnight.

6. Borax To The Bathroom! Make an excellent all-around borax bathroom sanitizer by adding 2 teaspoons of borax and 4 tablespoons of vinegar to 3 or 4 cups of water. For toilets, pour 1 cup of borax into the bowl before you go to sleep and scrub and flush in the morning.

What do-it-yourself mixes do you use around the house? Share your recipes in the comments.

7 ways to green clean-and cut costs
(Photo: ♥Sage... here and away)

The NRDC report suggests that video game console manufacturers update the consoles with a power saving mode that would kick in after a period of inactivity — but the quickest fix is for gamers to turn their consoles off (or use the console's power saving features) when they're not actively playing them. The NRDC says that consoles use about the same amount of power just sitting there as they do when you're actually playing them.

How much could you save? At the high end, the NRDC says that PS3 owners who shut off their consoles could save as much as $145 a year. Wii users won't save as much, because the Wii uses less power over all. The XBOX 360 is somewhere in between.

The good news is that the XBOX 360 and PS3 do have power saving features, but they're disabled by default. Why not turn them on and save some cash?

Lowering the Cost of Play [NRDC]

Amazon says that they're beginning the crusade against "wrap rage" with the Fisher Price Imaginext Adventures Pirate Ship. Instead of a medieval torture device, the toy will now arrive in something called "a box."

"I think we've all experienced the frustration that sometimes occurs when you try to get a new toy or electronics product out of its package," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "It will take many years, but our vision is to offer our entire catalog of products in Frustration-Free Packaging. We'd like to thank Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and Transcend for working with us in this effort - we truly appreciate it."

Amazon will also be working with the manufacturers of things like memory cards, which come in hard to open clamshell packages to deter shoplifting. Apparently, it has occurred to Amazon.com that they really don't have much of a problem with shoplifting.

In addition to being easier to open, the new packaging will be recyclable and use fewer raw materials.

Amazon Announces Beginning of Multi-Year Frustration-Free Packaging Initiative (Press Release) [Amazon] (Thanks, Pete!)

5. ADVISORY:
The Green Funeral choice is usually made for environmental reasons and a desire for a simpler disposition. It is an appropriate and meaningful choice for certain families. However, it does preclude certain options and poses several risks that the REPRESENTATIVE has been advised of and is now acknowledging. The REPRESENTATIVE has been advised by the FUNERAL HOME that with a Green Funeral the FUNERAL HOME can provide no assurances regarding the appearance or the condition of DECEDENT's remains, that there will not be a public visitation or viewing of the DECEDENT, that there are possible health risks posed by handling an unembalmed body, that there can be substantial risks of physical injury to pallbearers from holding, carrying, and transporting a body in a container that may not be designed to hold the weight or to be safely lifted and carried, that burial of the body in a grave plot without an outer burial container may lead to the ground settling and sinking over the grave, that the body may not be able to be disinterred and moved at a later date, and that in later years it may be difficult or impossible to locate the grave due to the lack of a permanent marker or monument.

Over at Funeral Consumers Alliance, they translate this into what they think it really means...

NFDA Lawyer Uses Scare Tactics on Green Burial Customers [Funeral Consumers Alliance]

Last year, a rat head surprised a Utah woman when she opened her can of Allen's Italian Green Beans. That rat head earned its finder, Marianne Watson, an offer of $100 if she agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which she didn't.

Despite the bribes, Allen's has nothing but confidence in their canning process:

Dear Mr. (redacted)

We are aware of the recent allegations regarding our product. However, we can confirm that the details released by the media are not accurate. We have spoken with the gentleman making the allegations but as of this date, none of the allegations have been confirmed as fact. What we can tell you is that because green beans grow out-of-doors and must be harvested by mechanical pickers close to the ground, it is not uncommon that field debris, insects and field pests may be present in the product when it is harvested and delivered to our plant for processing. Realizing this, we have equipped our production lines to rigorously wash and inspect raw product a half dozen times. Before filling the cans, they are inverted and steam flushed to assure cleanliness. The product is then filled into the cans with liquid, capped and cooked to the level of Pasteurization right inside the hermetically sealed cans, rendering the complete contents of the can commercially sterile. We utilize extensive quality control measures including technologically advanced equipment and trained inspectors. Just a few of the processes we utilize are quality checkpoints including blowers, de-stoning equipment, high pressure washers, metal detection and technically sensitive equipment, which scans the product for color and texture variances, rejecting any off-color object. Our company exceeds all FDA Requirements for food processing. In addition, we are constantly exploring new processes to improve our quality.

Quite honestly, we are at a loss to explain how something like this could have escaped our quality control measures and could have gotten through the rigorous quality process and into a can of our product. We want to assure you that our plants are extremely clean and our processes quite thorough. Allens places strong emphasis on quality assurance, utilizing competent, well-trained people and the best equipment in our plants and Corporate Laboratory. Our company packs millions of cans of product each year and I want to assure you that an incident such as this is extremely rare.

Although we have not had a chance to fully investigate this matter nor hear back on the results from the independent laboratory, we do know and can confirm scientifically that had there been any foreign material inside of the can, due to the stringent cooking process, the complete contents of the can would have been commercially sterile and would not have posed any sort of health hazard or threat to the public. Again, the Pasteurization process renders the product sterile and completely safe for consumption. While it is our goal that our products be aesthetically pleasing to our Customers, incidents such as this pose no health hazard or risk. Obviously this is a raw commodity grown in a field and as such, is subject to exposures that occur within nature. The FDA governs our processes and recognizes that there is no measure within the canning industry to prevent incidents of foreign material from entering the product 100% of the time.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding your concerns. We sincerely hope that you will give our Company another chance.

Sincerely,

Kathy Turner
Manager, Consumer Relations
Corporate Services Department
ALLENS, INC.
PO Box 250
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
kturner@allens.com

As for Walmart... well, according to spokesman Phillip Keene:

Food safety is a top priority at Wal-Mart. We take customer concerns seriously.

Man who found rat head in beans says canner told him contents of can would have been safe to consume [Beaumont Enterprise]
Utah Woman Also Finds Rat Head In Green Bean Can [KFDM]
(Photo: KFDM)

* Hybrids hold their value better than non-hybrid cars.
* Some lenders — typically credit unions — offer discounted loan rates for hybrids.
* Some insurance companies — including Geico, the Travelers, and Farmers — offer discounted premiums.
* The federal government is also offering tax credits of up to $3,400 for hybrids — but only for the first 60,000 vehicles, which means that Toyota and Honda models are no longer eligible. Some employers offer incentives for hybrid vehicles as well.
* And, of course, hybrids cost much less to fuel up.

In the end, the analysis shows a Honda Accord being 45% more costly and a Honda Civic 16% more costly than a Toyota Prius.
Of course the calculations are highly sensitive to assumptions, but to most reasonable observers, it appears that conventional wisdom has taken another hit.

Rethinking the cost of hybrid cars [Yahoo Green]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE

(Photo: geognerd)

Wesa ordered a cast iron pot from Macy's and it got packed in these special packing peanuts which Macy's says are 100% biodegradable. They're made from corn and potato starch. Macy's says you can dissolve them in water and pour in the garden, yard, sink, or toilet, or put them in the compost, put them in the ground, or simply throw them away where they will "dissolve in the landfill." Pretty neat! The accompanying flyer is inside.

Officially the calculator is part of a for-profit that lets you purchase carbon offset credits, but we remain skeptical of the idea that you can buy your way free from carbon emissions. What it could be useful for, though, is comparing different airlines to see which one comes in with the lowest score, and then factoring that into your next travel booking.

"New emissions calculator reveals true cost of your flight" [Elliott.org]

(Photo: Mary Catherine O'Connor)

Since [his store] Cred started marketing ethical gold and platinum jewellery, its sales have grown fast, with online orders flowing in from around the world, notably the United States, Valerio said.

Cred's wedding or engagement rings typically cost about 10 percent more than average prices but are about 15 percent below the top luxury brands such as Tiffany.

A bespoke Cred 18-carat gold wedding ring might cost from 195 to 800 pounds ($390 to $1,600) depending on its size and design — the cheapest engagement ring one could expect to buy in a standard British store would cost about 80 pounds ($160).

RELATED
Cred Jewellery
Corporación Oro Verde / Green Gold Corporation

Cremation was long considered more environmentally friendly than burials in graveyards, but its use of fossil fuels has raised concerns.

Eco-friendly burials have been popular in Britain for years, but industry experts say it's starting to catch on in the U.S., where "green" cemeteries hosting natural burials have sprouted up in California, Florida, New York, South Carolina and Texas.

The majority of eco-friendly burial products come from overseas - including the Ecopod, which is made in the United Kingdom - although there are a few domestic makers. Options range from natural-fiber shrouds to fair-trade bamboo caskets lined with unbleached cotton. There are also more traditional-looking handcrafted coffins made of wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Protecting the earth after death: Biodegradable coffins [AP]
(Photo: Edward All ☆s)

A computer glich is causing every single Prius to fail the emissions test. It turns out that the computer that downloads the car's emissions history is incompatible with the hybrid, and the exhaust-testing system requires the car to be able to idle with the engine running— something the eco-friendly Pruis won't do.

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Scott Merritt bought his low polluting Toyota Prius to help save the planet, conserve energy and encourage others to go green. He's also a big believer in keeping dirty polluters off the road.

So imagine his surprise and frustration when his electric hybrid failed Georgia emissions testing — not once, but three times.

"I spent a total of three full days getting this resolved," said Merritt, 34, a public relations executive. "I went to three different places, and nobody was able to do the test."

"The woman behind the counter looked at me like I had three heads," Merritt said. "She had never heard of this problem."

Earth-friendly Prius struggling to overcome Ga emissions glitch [Atlanta J-C] (Thanks, Gregg!)
(Photo:Ben Gray/AJC)

For a totally biased argument, we turn to the National Christmas Tree Association's website, where they compare real trees to fake ones. Real trees, they say, are 100% biodegradable, PVC free, (often) grown locally, and are "carbon neutral."

Also, they smell nice.

All in all, people are going to buy whichever they like better, but now you real tree aficionados will have a bunch of talking points to unleash upon friends who disagree with you. That's what Christmas is all about.

Making An Eco-Friendly Choice: The Environmental Debate Settled [National Christmas Tree Association]
(Photo:Justin Russell)

The NYT takes a closer look at Frito-Lay and their quest for the cheaper (eco-friendly) potato chip.

The new plant sounds sort of nifty, like Mr. Wizard designed it.

The plant's locale also offered an attractive storyline for consumers: recycling water in the middle of the desert and producing snack chips from solar concentrators.

The project will start next year with the installation of a membrane bio-reactor, which looks like a railroad car with long strands of fettuccine hanging from the ceiling. In fact, the strands are filters that will clean the water used to process potato chips and corn products.

The waste produced by the filtering process will then be fed to a new anaerobic digester, which will produce methane gas to run the plant's boiler.

The second stage of the process will be the installation of at least 50 acres of solar concentrators behind the plant. Similar concentrators are now being installed at a plant in Modesto, Calif. The concentrators are parabolic mirrors about three feet off the ground that move with the sun and focus energy on a tube filled with water, much as a magnifying glass focuses the sun's rays.

The water is heated to about 500 degrees and is run through a maze of pipes back to the plant, where it will power a steam generator.

The last portion of the net zero plant would be a biomass generator that provides additional fuel to run the plant's boiler. Company officials have not yet determined what type of material will be used as fuel.

"If the price of these resources continues to rise, we will be very happy we made these investments," said Rich Beck, senior vice president for operations.

In Eco-Friendly Factory, Low-Guilt Potato Chips [NYT]
(Photo:strobist)

From Forbes:

"The Burt's Bees brand is well-anchored in sustainability and health and wellness, and we believe it will benefit from natural and "green" tailwinds," said Clorox Chief Executive Donald R. Knauss. "It's in an economically attractive category with a margin structure that will be highly accretive to Clorox."

Clorox To Buy Burt's Bees [Forbes]

For washing machines, they recommend a few Kenmore and Bosch models. None are cheap, but if energy costs remain high, the prices start to look a lot more reasonable when your new washer is 60% more efficient than older models. For toilets, replacing one "made between 1980 and 1994 and you could save as much as $90 a year." If you have a natural-gas furnace that's 15 years old, you can see huge savings ("about $32 per $100 of annual fuel costs") if you spend the extra $1000 for a new one that's 95% efficient.

They also suggest looking at VOC-free interior paints like Yolo Colorhouse. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, contribute to smog and can also aggravate allergies or respiratory ailments. And if you're looking to replace any countertops, you can check out a few brands made from recycled materials, like IceStone or PaperStone (see article for more information).

"A Shopping Guide to Eco-Friendly Products" [Kiplinger's]
(Photo: MShades)

It makes no sense. You'll get one package of butter in a huge cardboard box (seen above.)

Well, that's going to change because FreshDirect is "going green."

FreshDirect says:

1. CUTTING EMISSIONS FROM OUR DELIVERY TRUCKS.
We love that our trucks have become a mass transit system for food, each one replacing the many cars and cabs that would otherwise be used to bring families and food together. We're committed to making our trucks as clean-burning and low-impact as possible. FreshDirect has partnered with Tri-State Biodiesel, a NYC-based company dedicated to providing the region with clean, renewable biodiesel sources. Tri-State uses cooking oil donated from our kitchen for use in non-toxic diesel fuel. In the next year, we plan to initiate biodiesel use in 100% of our delivery fleet. This action will both reduce emissions and cut back our use of fossil fuel products. Additionally, we are working with the city to identify locations for electrical outlets so we can plug in our trucks and refrigerate using electric engines. We hope to have our first plug-in truck in mid-2008.

2. REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF WASTE WE PRODUCE.
We recently switched our delivery boxes in favor of boxes that use 100% recycled fiber content - no virgin fibers are needed in any FreshDirect box. We're proud to announce that within the next 3 years, we'll eliminate nearly all of our cardboard delivery boxes, replacing them with recyclable plastic totes and grocery bags. Since our facility was designed with cardboard boxes in mind, switching our systems will involve a complex re-engineering process.

3. FEEDING OUR NEEDIEST NEIGHBORS.
We work hard to make sure that surplus food doesn't go to waste. Accordingly, FreshDirect is one of City Harvest's largest food suppliers, helping them to feed New York's neediest.

4. INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF LOCAL PRODUCTS WE SELL.
Forging partnerships with good people doing good work has been a FreshDirect hallmark for years, and few companies sell more local products. Buying from farms, orchards, dairies and fisheries in the Tri-state area reduces the use of fossil fuels, supports artisanal craftsmanship and stimulates our local economy.

5. PROVIDING EVEN MORE INFORMATION TO HELP CUSTOMERS MAKE INFORMED CHOICES.
Environmental choices are often complicated, highly personal decisions. That's why FreshDirect believes in offering customers the opportunity to make informed choices for themselves and their families. We will continue to deliver on that commitment by looking for new ways to deliver quality food alongside thorough information. In the coming year, we'll work to increase our selection of fish certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Fresh Direct Responds to Environmental Critics [Streetsblog] (Thanks, kimdog!)
(Photo:Janina)

Categories covered include "How to Choose a Contractor" and "Appliance Recycling and Disposal Information." Or, you can select an "end-use" to see a list of useful tips for saving energy and money, from categories like Ventilation, Water Heating, Cooking, Lighting, and Consumer Electronics.

The guide offers mostly practical advice, with an eye on the consumer's finances:

"We take a balanced approach in recommending the best ways to save energy and money," said Katie Ackerly, ACEEE Research Staff and co-author of the new edition. "The tips you find in the book are designed to benefit the consumer economically, improving overall satisfaction while reducing environmental impact."

"Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings: Online Guide" [ACEEE]

RELATED
Press Release at ACEEE

Michael Dell, CEO, recently told the WSJ that Dell plans to be carbon neutral by 2008.

Mr. Dell said companies have become more efficient, but he said further progress is needed because global energy consumption is expected to grow rapidly over the next few decades. A company becomes "carbon neutral" by matching its carbon emissions with green technological projects or purchasing an "offsetting" amount of emissions from other sources.

Dell Inc. Plans to Become 'Carbon Neutral' by 2008[WSJ]

From Bankrate:

If you want to save the whales, offset CO2 emissions or contribute to another "green" cause, it is now as simple as swipe and sign.

Environmentally friendly credit cards are affinity cards issued by a credit card company. The card issuer donates a portion of your purchases (typically 1 percent through a rewards program) to a green cause. Sometimes the consumer gets to choose the specific cause, but most often the funds go to a general fund from which contributions are made to a variety of causes of the affiliate company's choosing.

The greening of credit cards [Bankrate]
(Photo:janapochop)

In several cases, companies achieved the "energy savings" is achieved by decreasing the water temperature. Two GE models actually made the clothes dirtier.

We're all for reducing energy costs, but it should come in the form of increased efficiency, not decreased performance.

Dirty laundry [Consumer Reports via Marginal Revolution] (Thanks to Bullpen!)
(Photo: Jos Goul o)

The program is certainly better than, you know, not having one at all, but does it impress Consumer Reports?

Nah. Kristi Wiedemann, Science and Policy Analyst for GreenerChoices.org, Consumer Reports' eco-riffic website, went shopping at Home Depot to see if the program lived up to its hype. It didn't.

She found misplaced signs, disorganized displays, labels that didn't really mean much of anything and products that were "green" because they met current environmental standards that really aren't that high in the first place.

Kristi also makes a good point about buying products that last. If you can use it longer and repair it when it breaks there's less of a chance it will end up in a landfill. Eco Options sort of leaves that part out.

When all has been said and done, Eco Options is better than nothing, but not as good as doing the research for yourself and making informed choices about what you buy.

Eco Options: An inside look [Consumer Reports]

"People are consciously trying to fuzzy the boundary lines between clarity and lack of clarity so they can sell more products. Everybody is trying to promote their products as green even though they may not be."

One site that can help you decide what to buy is eco-labels.org, run by the Consumers Union (who publish Consumer Reports). The site provides detailed information on various seals you can find on products, as well as the meanings behind phrases like "eco safe," "biodegrades without forming microtoxins" (whaa?), and "cruelty free."

Eco-labels believes a universal seal would be too difficult to implement, and that simply more consistency in labeling would help everyone. Of course, a federal agency seal doesn't prevent abuse or mislabeling, it just standardizes it; we saw how that turned out with the whole "organic" category. But at least you can assume a minimum standard is being met before the label "organic" can be applied, whereas today "green" is just another marketing term to appeal to a highly attractive and growing demographic of environmentally conscious—but consistently frustrated—shoppers.

"It's not easy being a green consumer" [Los Angeles Times]

RELATED
eco-labels.org