I have to hand it to the marketing people at Dow Chemical. If there was ever an advertising campaign that was further from the truth or done so in a more beautifully scripted way than “The Human Element” I have yet to see it. So I was somewhat relieved to find it on the top of the Greenwashing Index list – at least it is getting the right kind of exposure.
I was first aware of the campaign when I got a special issue of Smithsonian, the 37 under 36: America’s Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences, which is, to …read more

Consumers are getting greenwashed left and right, that is doused with an onslaught of false or far fetched “green” claims from companies. But, for every action there is an equal and opposite action and the greenwash watchdogs are out in full force.
One of my favorites is the Greenwashing Index. Here is a site devoted to a discourse on greenwashing in advertising where users can rate ads based on certain criteria.
When you rate an ad with the Greenwashing Index, it will generate a score based on your response to the following statements. Your score will be included in the ad’s overall …read more

I’ve mentioned Ray Anderson here on Greener Assets as a model of an inspiring business success story. After an environmental legacy wake-up call, Anderson took to transforming his carpet tile company into a “a sustainable operation that takes nothing out of the earth that cannot be recycled or quickly regenerated, and that does no harm to the biosphere.” He has become one of the nation’s leading spokespersons and advocates for sustainability.
He is also an author, which brings us to our Mid-Course Correction Contest. This week, readers have the chance to win a copy of Ray Anderson’s Book Mid-Course …read more

As 2007 comes to a close soon, I’d thought a look back at some of the stories that made their way to Greener Assets this year would be a good way to round up and head into 2008. Around the b5 business channel, other bloggers will be doing the same and I’ll keep you posted with links to some of the best business posts of the year. Until then, here are my favorites from Greener Assets 2007…
Wal-Mart: Green, greener or greenwashing?: While the mega store wasn’t founded on sustainable principles, other than sustaining the Walton’s, the corporation responsible for moving …read more

Are you being greenwashed? The answer, according to a new survey by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, is yes. TerraChoice – who has been the official management, certification and delivery agent of the EcoLogo since 1995 – surveyed over 1,000 consumer products that were marketed as a “green” choice in Spring 2007. What they discovered is that more than 99% of products can not back up their environmental claims.
Here’s TerraChoice president Scott McDougall on the findings.

Out of the research, TerraChoice has come up with “The Six Sins of Greenwashing” – a resource for marketers and consumers. The six sins are (via ENN):

Sin …read more

Last month brought TMC’s first Green Technology World Conference to Los Angeles. The event was aimed at educating attendees about how to create a positive impact on both their businesses and the environment – but is the industry ready?
PCMag reported a disappointing turnout that indicated that “‘greening’ technology remains a low priority.” The biggest challenge to changing that mindset is the cost-effectiveness of adopting green strategies.
Conference keynote speaker Joan Vandermate of Polycom, told PC Magazine:
Everybody will say that it’s a good thing to do, but if there’s any invest required, whether it’s an investment of actual dollars or having to …read more

Each week, one of every three people in America visits a US Wal-Mart store translating into 100 million customers every seven days, and that’s just in the US. Sam Walton’s founding philosophy that selling products cheap in volume equals a money making dynasty is hard to deny.
While the mega store wasn’t founded on sustainable principles, other than sustaining the Walton’s, the corporation responsible for moving over 300 billion dollars worth of merchandise in 2007 continues to announce green initiatives that are standing up to scrutiny.
Most recently, in an unusual display of transparency, Wal-Mart announced an energy and emissions tracking initiative …read more