What that product isn't telling you

Posted by Melanie on September 26 at 2:00 PM All products are not created equal, and that goes for the environmental and social impact of an item as well as its performance or how great it looks.  What happens in the lifecycle of a product from its creation to purchase point has long been kept under wraps.  However, a new wave of manufacturers is turning others’ dirty secrets into selling points.

From use of recycled and sustainably-harvested resources, to fair employment of workers and overall carbon footprint, savvy consumers are demanding more information on the processes and materials that go the products they buy. 

Love, Earth and Icebreaker are two of the latest businesses that have joined Patagonia and Timberland in promoting transparency in their products’ back stories.

Love, Earth jewelry - sold at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club - allows customers to enter a product’s code online to see where it has traveled - from country of origin to store of purchase, which gives shoppers an indication of the items overall carbon footprint.

Sustainable Merino wool company Icebreaker gives each product a ‘Baacode’ that can be entered via their website to find out more about the wool that was used and even the exact sheep it came from!

While these examples provide consumers with only a snapshot of a product’s background rather than a full life-cycle assessment, it’s a great entrée to get consumers thinking more about the impact of their shopping habits – and ultimately how they can flex their buying power as consumers to bring about more responsible practices and products from manufacturers. Topics: branding, green        SHARE: