Consumers and companies need to be aware of this practice and be able to recognize what products, services and/or practices are truly safe, effective, and environmentally friendly. Education is key.

The following comment comes from Keith Miller, Manager of Environmental Initiatives and Sustainability at 3M, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. He spoke at a Conference Board’s annual Business and Sustainability Conference in DC recently and answered a question about greenwashing. Good information!

“Firstly, there are no blanket statements that ‘this product is green’. We avoid using broad environmental claims such as “safe for the environment” or environmentally friendly”. Claims must be specific and be clear to customers or the general public.

Secondly, claims must be relevant to the product. For example, claiming that a product is cadmium free, when the product has never contained cadmium, and nor have any of its competitors, is not relevant.

Thirdly, that there must be compelling data to substantiate the claim. We need to know the claim is technically accurate. “

The polar ice caps are melting.  Extreme weather is wreaking world-wide havoc. Our water resources are being contaminated. Rising oil costs reflect the limited resources of our highly sought-after fuel.  Feeling overwhelmed and don’t think you can make a difference?  Yes, you can.   We all can.

My personal journey began as I was standing in line at the grocery store, feeling quite proud of my new sturdy, reusable shopping bags and how my purchases fit nicely into just two bags.  But when I looked at the other checkout lanes, shoppers with the same amount of product were walking out with 8-10 plastic bags!

Plastic bags

These plastic bags (petroleum based), may well be reused for waste can liners, or perhaps pet clean-up or a number of other assorted uses.  Unfortunately, even the reused bags will end up in the land fill….for hundreds of years.  When they finally do starting decomposing, the small particles allow toxins to escape into the earth.  Consider these facts from gleaned from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Environmental Protection Agency

·         Plastic bags are made of polyethylene

·         Polyethylene is a petroleum product

·         Production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption

·         Four to five trillion plastic bags are manufactured each year

·         Americans throw away approximately 100 billion polyethylene bags per year

·         Only  1% of these bags are recycled

·         It takes 1000 years for polyethylene bags to break down

·         As polyethylene breaks down, toxic substances leach into the soil and enter the food chain

·         Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die per year by ingesting plastic bags

·         Plastic bag choke landfills

·         Plastic bags are carried by the wind into forests, ponds, rivers, and lakes

Plastic Bottles

A week or so after my plastic bag epiphany, I discovered that 80-90% of all plastic water bottles end up n the land-fill.  And to top it off, there are the BPA issues as well – the toxins that leach from the plastic bottles!  So I invested in a quality aluminum bottle with a secure liner, and decided it was time to let other people know about the issues. 

Baby bottles are also impacted.  Canada’s newly-elected Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is drafting the world’s first regulations to prohibit the importation, sale and advertising of plastic baby bottles that contain the chemical bisphenol A.  The US has been urged to follow suit. Yes, the risks are real!  Polycarbonate bottles are at issue – to check, simply look at the bottom of the bottle for the number 7 in the recycling symbol.

Types of plastic reported to be safe include: #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), and #5 PP (polypropylene).

A  Mission

Just by starting with reusable shopping bags and drinking bottles, I discovered a passion.  Now I am very aware of what chemicals are in my cleaning products and foods.  I’m also aware of the excessive waste we create in this nation that clogs our landfills.

By taking simple steps, we can all make a difference.  Awareness is the key.  Educating and sharing tips on simple solutions makes going green less intimidating.  In many ways it is a simpler life-style.  Whether it is home-made natural cleaning supplies, innovative new products, or just the basics that got me started – reusable bags and bottles, it is taking simple steps that make a difference.  These simple steps make us more aware and proactive.

Step by step, I’ve learned that I can make an impact on our planet, as well as my own health, safety and comfort.     Each of us has the opportunity to make change. 

One person at a time …One step at a time