Don’t Get Caught in the ‘green Wash’!

With “green living” becoming an increasingly hot topic, consumers are more educated about green buying options and less responsive to common green claims such as “recycled” and “natural.”  Based on follow up interviews to a survey called Green  AMPlified, released by AMP Agency, an Alloy Media + Marketing , over half (53%) of consumers factor a company’s social and environmental activities into their purchasing decisions and are ready to reward those companies that prove their commitment to the cause.   In fact, after learning a company is environmentally friendly, the study found that 57% are likely to trust the company, 60% are likely to purchase its products, and 58% are likely to recommend the company or its products to others.
Although 44% of consumers claim that they sometimes, but not often, believe the environmentally friendly claims on product packages, they confirmed that they don’t expect companies to be perfect.  They do however, need to know that they care as much as they do, are making efforts to improve the state of the world – and can show it.  Using Tree-Free materials such as FiberStone™ paper made from calcium carbonate from www.naturalsourceprinting.com is one way a company can ‘put it’s money where it’s mouth is’.
The study found that 40% of consumers are likely to speak out against a company when they learn they are not environmentally friendly. Conversely, Earn their trust and they are more likely to spread that positive message to a wide network of family and peers.
To help earn the trust of your customers who are looking an environmentally safe cosmetic product, be sure to avoid getting caught in “Green Washing,” by being consistent and open with your environmental claims.  The following tips from Terra Choice Environmental Marketing Inc. might help too!
1)     Be sure that your “green” claim is not restricted to just one environmental issue.  If so, look for other information that gives a more complete picture of the environmental impact of the “life cycle” of your product (From the cradle to the grave? Or again to the cradle?)

2)    Guide your customer to find more information and evidence by listing helpful websites, third-party certifiers, and toll-free phone number to help easily provide a means of proof for your environmental claims.

3)    Give specific meanings to your “green” claims.  To avoid the risk of seeming vague with claims such as “non-toxic”, or “all natural” –be sure to explain exactly how your product or packaging effects the environment.  Some helpful details include listing the # of trees saved, or gallons of water not used by your product or package manufacturing.

4)    Give a complete explanation for the life of your product  ( complete carbon footprint).   Using recycled or recyclable materials addresses the end of life, one piece of the Sustainability equation.  Be sure to also explain the beginning of life- where the raw materials come from, and Mid life- Carbon Footprint.  This includes how much energy is used, Co2 released, and water consumed or contaminated during production and transportation.

One eco-friendly material that offers a good example of a small carbon footprint is FiberStone™ Paper from Natural Source Printing Inc.  FiberStone™ is recyclable, benign in a landfill, and offers an answer to the end of life concerns of consumers.    It uses no water, or trees in its production, and uses about half the energy of virgin paper.  One ton of FiberStone™ Paper saves 20 trees, 7,480 gallons of water/water borne waste, and 25 million BTU’s of energy.   For more information about FiberStone™, go to www.naturalsourceprinting.com .