There is a lot of buzz around ‘green’ and ’sustainable’ products. The big issue with this kind of marketing is that there is a big difference between saying green and being green. Read a previous post on greenwashing. The onus now lies on the consumer to check up on the manufacturer to make sure all their claims are accurate and no naughty indiscretions have been conveniently left out. The American Society of Interior Designers have developed a green products checklist which gives you things to look for when purchasing a green or sustainable product.

Sustainable design is important if we’re going to address climate change and resource availability in the long term; therefore we can’t let this new-found enthusiasm for green living go the way of the last ‘fad’. Don’t let companies abuse green marketing - be wary of any so called green company until you have all the information on their product or services. Once this precedence for transparency is set, and consumers are educated about what it actually takes to be green, then it will be a dangerous game for companies to market their green virtues without backing it up strongly.