At Home | September 27, 2007 |
Green Building Must Overcome Greenwashing
An Ipsos Reid study conducted last spring on behalf of Icynene, an insulation manufacturer, found that seven out of 10 Americans believe labeling a home building product green is merely a marketing tactic. While 75 percent of men believe something labeled green is a clear example of greenwashing, only 65 percent of women believe so. And the south is the region in the United States in which most people – 72 percent - are most likely to discredit green labels.
As for building green, 44 percent of Americans either completely or somewhat agree that they are unwilling to pay more upfront for green building products even though they know it's better for the environment and that it could save them money in the long run. Only 10 percent of Americans said they would be willing to pay more, with 46 percent on the fence about the decision.
More of our northern Canadian neighbors said that they clearly understand the benefits of building green, and less Canadians than Americans believe that calling a home building product green is a marketing tactic.
This study focused on the industry of green building, but I wouldn't be surprised if results were similar to how the American public feels about cleaning products, organic bedding and clothing, or hybrid cars.
Could this be because the green industry has for a long time targeted a very small portion of the United States – the portion that already recycles and shops at Whole Foods, instead of the majority that shops at Wal-Mart? How can the building industry overcome this stigma and convince more homeowners to go green? Does it depend on proving the cost savings rather than proving environmental benefits?
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Many people are interested in learning more about green building, and more resources are coming online to help. Two years ago, I had difficulty finding the green building information I needed, so I helped create Rate It Green, an online community (web site) for information sharing among everyone interested in green building. What I really wanted then was advice from people who had "been there" and had actually used these products and services. Which paint was best? Where could I find a dual flush toilet? On Rate It Green, people can review and rate products so that we can all learn and help this market grow faster. (And the site is now ready to take ratings!) This is the help I wanted then, so I really hope it can make things easier for people who may be struggling in the same situation now.
There are plenty of great green products and services out there. If people are willing to share what they know, perhaps we can all uncover what works best and what needs improvement in the marketplace. Some products and services will receive excellent commentary, and some people will offer constructive criticism. With enough ratings, we should all be able to make our own judgments about whether certain items or services will work for us. I don't know how I feel about the term "Greenwashing" because I do worry that it can be carelessly applied at times. Do keep in mind that some products and services have some green attributes even if they aren't "all green." Some of these companies contact me and explain that they are making progress and that they have added some green features or some green products to their line. What I often hear is that companies want to go more green, but they are nervous about what the public might or might not buy. They also sometimes need to learn more and find more advanced technologies. Some of these folks are quite sincere and would really be surprised to hear someone say they were "washing" or not doing what they can. And people may buy whatever level of green items they feel work best for them for a particular project or at a particular time. There are also often complex tradeoffs, like between a long-lasting flooring and a more "green" type of flooring that might need to be replaced sooner. Or a product might seem more green than another but need to be shipped in from further away...
And while I wish we could all be as green as possible all of the time, I also think that some green is better than no green. Buying a green product or service signals that company to keep up the good work. I want to encourage people to do better while I/we refrain from threatening and scaring people away. We can all continue to make improvements so we can leave our planet healthier for future generations.
Thanks,
Allison
Rate It Green
www.rateitgreen.com
Great point Allison. I too agree that some green is better than none and the whole system is very complex. Thanks for sharing your site with us.
It’s not just a problem for consumers, but also one for contractors.
More and more homeowners want building and home improvement products
that are green, made with sustainable practices, and that do not have
adverse health effects. But it’s often a challenge for contractors to
find such products, or at least find products that are truly green,
sustainable and healthy. We’ve seen this time and again in our
10+ years of selling green and healthy building products to
contractors and to homeowners. Now an increasing number of
manufacturers claim their products are green and healthy. Even if
their products are green and healthy, how is a consumer or contractor
to determine what’s green and what is not? Or whether a product is
truly non-toxic? Or whether the manufacturing process is sustainable?
It’s a new language for many people, and it can be a hard language to
learn. Our response was to create the Degree of Green rating system,
which reveals at what level building and home improvement products
are green, sustainable and healthy, and how the cost of the product
compares to traditional products. (Green does not have to mean more
expensive.) Our panel of nationally recognized green building experts
is reviewing and rating products independent of the manufacturers,
and then reporting our findings on Degree of Green rating sheets for
each product. Knowledgeable retailers can then share those sheets
with their customers, and explain further details. The health of the
planet and the health of home occupants are serious issues. Let’s not
let greenwashing dilute all of our efforts to create safer and
greener living environments.
Andy Pace
Safe Building Solutions
Degree of Green
www.safebuildingsolutions.com
Andrew -
Thanks for writing! Our team is working (as fast as we can) on as complete a map/guide we can make of the resources within the green building and related industry space, and I will definitely look up your site. It sure sounds like a great fit. The idea for this project is that people new to the industry can get started much more quickly on their research if they have a better list of existing resources. My hope is that someone would have information right away that it took me a couple of years to find. And there's no reason for this research to be so difficult.
Thanks too, Emily. You article caught my attention and is part of a very important discussion. There is significant confusion in this marketplace, and we have to work hard to create resources which can help.
-Allison
Rate It Green
www.rateitgreen.com
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