Green. The new black.
Green is the new currency of status. Out is the ostentatious display of self-indulgent luxury. In is being an environmentally responsible, renewable resources conscious, carbon footprint sensitive minimalist. Is it surprising, then, that in a highly competitive world, consumers, brands and companies are racing to tout their greenness? Let’s be honest here. Isn’t your shade of green just a convenient (because contemporary) way of achieving a degree of relevance, differentiation and maybe profit? While some, no doubt, truly seek to be green for noble motivations (like saving the planet), the reality, it seems, is that most don’t really think through what it really means or implies to be green. Instead, they glom onto the external signals or cues of greenness to feel better or show to others just how green they are. They recycle their cans, glass and plastic regularly. They own and drive a hybrid. They unplug electrical devices when not in use. If they’re companies, they “recycle”, “reclaim” and “manage to origin” while making sure to tell us consumers all about it. But few if any ask, what resources are being consumed to recycle or bring a “green product” to market? Or, what will be the impact on the environment of the spent batteries in my hybrid? Don’t get me wrong: I’m not against being green. I’m against being green without thinking. Next time you hear someone (person, brand or company) say they’re being green, ask yourself what’s beyond the superficial aspect of their greenness and discover their real shade of green.
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Regarding the green frenzy – one anecdote sums up my feelings quite well when it comes to ‘blind-greenliness.’
A green-crazed housemate recently brought home a series of candles from a shopping spree. The reason they were marketed as green by the manufacturer? “Recyclable glass jars and a recyclable cotton wick”
Unfortunately, this manufacturer has garnered marketshare, at least in the case of my housemate, by hijacking the utilizing the word ‘green’ in a most deceptive way. Aren’t all glass jars recyclable? Wicks burn up, why would you need to recycle them in the first place?
One would hope that the majority of consumers would be thoughtful enough to pursue items and services that really promote a substantive & genuine green agenda. One would also hope that manufacturers take real steps toward innovation to make their products green, rather than faking it.