Who’s Picking Your Cotton?

Back in August, the website Social Alterations provided a very informative article on the use of forced child labour for cotton harvest in Uzbekistan. Nadira Lamrad, contributing writer for the site, highlighted issues surrounding the use of such labour and the implications that it for the apparel industry. In her follow-up article, posted early this October, Lamrad continues to explore the issues associated with the situation Uzbekistan and the actions that industry and corporations are and are not taking to stop the use of forced child labour. Please click here to read the follow-up article from Social Alterations.

If you would like to add your name to a petition to stop the use of forced child labour in Uzbekistan please click here.

The Plastic in my Organic Milk

As I sat down to eat my made in Canada, organic breakfast cereal it occurred to me that I ought to be splashing organic milk on my flakes. It seemed counterproductive that I would be drowning my breakfast in milk that I can only assume contains hormones and random chemicals that my body doesn’t really need. I mean, if I’m going to eat organic cereal, it only makes sense to eat it with organic milk, right?

I had no problem finding organic milk at one of the chain grocery stores near me, but what astounded me was that all the only organic milk that I found (Dairyland) there was packaged in plastic bottles. I had assumed that my organic milk would be packages in re-usable and recyclable glass bottles like the ones that used to be delivered to my front door when I was a kid. The Dairyland website does state that the plastic containers are 100% recyclable, but the problem is that packaging concerns me, especially plastic packaging.

It’s a strange contradiction when organic products are packaged in one of the most “un-organic” materials that exists today, plastic. It’s no secret that the use (and overuse) of plastic has seems to have all kinds of implications  for the environment and for personal health. Scientist have been cautioning about the toxicity in plastics for years and more recently the chemical in plastics have been discussed in books like Slow Death by Rubber Duck. Whether you agree that the authors’ data collection and testing methods are adequate or not, what can’t be ignored is that we need to be thinking not only about what we are putting into our bodies, but what our food and other consumer products are packaged in. We’ve been hearing about how plastics in containers can leach toxins into the product that it contains and may eventually cause serious health issues. Even if you doubt the legitimacy of reports that claim that plastic containers leach hazardous chemicals, you might have to acknowledge that plastic is almost impossible to get rid of without causing further harm to the planet.

Perhaps it’s time for a shift in our thinking. We need to think about the ramifications of our consumption habits. We need to think beyond our own health but also acknowledge that our personal health is intrinsically linked to the health of our planet. Companies are doing their customers and themselves a disservice by not thinking about the long-term ramifications that their products may cause and consumers are doing themselves a disservice by selectively choosing to address only certain issues associated with their own consumption.

Incidentally, today I visited a smaller, more specialized grocery store and found organic milk sold in returnable glass bottles. This milk company, Avalon, is much smaller and doesn’t have the same reach than the company than Dairyland does and subsequently is slightly pricier. If you live in the Metro-Vancouver area and would like to find out more about organic milk in glass bottles, please click here.

Greener Package Free Webcast: Oct 26

Have some spare time on October 26th and are interested in the ins and outs of third-party verification for packaging? Well, you might want to check out the Greener Package 1 hour Webinar How to Avoid Greenwashing and Pass the Greener Package Database Third-Party Review Process.

Here’s a bit out the webinar:

In this free, one-hour Webcast, learn how to submit your data and pass the new third-party review process for the Greener Package Database. Learn to make credible, supportable and bulletproof sustainability claims for your sustainable packaging product.

Victor Bell, President of Environmental Packaging International (EPI), will show you how to avoid making a claim that would be considered greenwashing; what environmental benefit you can and cannot legitimately claim; how to comply with Greener Package’s new Guidelines to Sustainability Claims and more! David Newcorn, Vice President of eMedia for Summit Publishing, will explain why third-party review is being used; the benefits to suppliers for participating and having data reviewed by a third-party; the connection between third-party-reviewed data and ECRM’s Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Sustainable Packaging Scorecard Modeling Software and more!

This Webcast is ideal for packaging raw material suppliers, packaging converters, suppliers and distributors of converted packaging, and consumer packaged goods companies who want to understand what to demand of their suppliers in the way of sustainability claims accountability.

I’m curious to see what this brings to the greenwashing and sustainability debate. For more information, or to register, click here.

Good News for Fair Trade Chocolate Lovers in Canada

A few months back, Cadbury UK announced they were introducing fair-trade chocolate to their UK market during the summer of 2009 and suggested that it the endeavor proved profitable that the company would expand the program to its other markets. Yesterday, Cadbury announced that their Dairy Milk Chocolate bars would also be going fair-trade in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia by the summer of 2010. This move is a major step for the mainstream chocolate producer and is a move to address some of the human rights issues associated with the cocoa industry. In West Africa, where 70% of the world’s cocoa supply is produced¹, there have been well documented instances of forced child labour and hazardous working conditions on cocoa plantations. The tenants of fair-trade prohibits these types of human rights violations and therefore when a consumer purchases fairly traded cocoa product, they can be sure that the product they are enjoying has been produced and sourced in an ethical manner.

In a press release, Cadbury has stated²:

“The certification of Cadbury Dairy Milk will improve the lives and communities of over 40,000 cocoa farmers and 6,000 sugar farmers, ensuring a guaranteed income, viable growth and hope for a prosperous future,” says Rob Clarke, Executive Director of TransFair Canada, the national Fair Trade Certification body and Canadian member of the Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO) International. “Cadbury Dairy Milk going Fair Trade also provides Canadians with an unprecedented opportunity to share in the success of these farmers and the presence of the Fair Trade Certification mark on every bar provides independent assurance that Fair Trade standards were met.”

The company also states²:

Cadbury’s commitment to Fair Trade in Canada will mean that approximately 11 per cent of all chocolate products Cadbury sells in Canada will be Fair Trade Certified. This announcement applies to the entire pure chocolate Cadbury Dairy Milk range: Cadbury Dairy Milk 42g, 100g and 200g; Cadbury Dairy Milk Thins, the first 100-calorie bar in Canada and Cadbury Dairy Milk treat size for Halloween. Cadbury intends to ship the first Fair Trade certified bars in Summer 2010.

For the full press release, please visit marketwire.com for the full story and press release from Cadbury.

Sources:

1. Parenti, C. (2008, February 4). Chocolate’s bittersweet economy. Fortune International (Europe), 157(2), 24-31.

2. http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Cadbury-North-America-1035139.html

Du Maurier: The Greener Cigarette Company

We all know that cigarettes have serious health consequences, but what is often overlooked is the  impact cigarettes have on the environment.  The debris created by discarded cigarette butts is a major problem; furthermore, the butts that end up along our shorelines and in our oceans pollute waterways the world over with the toxic chemicals contained in the product. Instead of focusing on encouraging smokers to stop throwing their butts on the ground or out car windows, the du Maurier cigarette company’s recent campaign focuses instead on the company’s “environmentally friendly” approach to packaging. This new campaign is laughable on many levels but the major issue is that the du Maurier ad is a blatant attempt to jump on the environmental marketing bandwagon that is so prevalent today. This campaign is guilty of greenwashing.

The ad states:

“We have updated our packaging to help reduce its impact on the environment.”

“Small steps make the difference.”

“Foil is now coloured recyclable paper making it kinder to the environment”

“Cardboard packaging that meets standards supporting sustainable forest management”

The last claim is the most misleading since the average consumer is likely unfamiliar with sustainable forest management standards or why these standards are environmentally beneficial. Furthermore, the ad does not explain how du Maurier supports these standards. Does the company support the standards by financially contributing to programs pertaining to sustainable forest management programs, or do they adhere to recommendations out forth by the Canadian Standards Association? Unsubstantiated and unclear claims are at the heart of greenwashing and vague information only misleads consumers. This ad is not only ridiculous and irresponsible, but also contributes to the growing landscape of greenwashing in the marketing and advertising.

Seven Deadly Sins of Greenwashing

TerraChoice's newest addition to their sins of greenwashing - The Sin of Worshiping False Labels

Almost anyone who shops regularly has noticed an increase in eco-labeling in recent years. It has become increasingly difficult to decipher what is ‘eco-friendly’ and what is parading around as ‘green’. On April 15, 2009, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing published a follow-up report to its 2007 report, the “Six Sins of Greenwashing”. In the 2009 report, TerraChoice added a seventh sin, the ‘Sin of Worshiping False Labels’. This new addition to the list  happens  when a company either falsely suggests that a product has third party endorsement or uses a fake label to indicate a product’s environmental merits. This new and updated report shows that the act of greenwashing hasn’t diminished much since the 2007 report was published and posits that 98% of the products in the study were guilty of committing at least one of the seven “sins”.

Although not without flaws, the new report provides consumers with information on how to become more informed about greenwashing and how to navigate through confusing eco-labeling  and provides hints on how one might be able to make environmentally friendlier choices. One of the report’s major flaws is that it does not provide concrete and accessible data on its findings. Joel Makower of greenbiz.com, wrote an interesting and critical article back in April about TerraChoice’s 2009 report. Since he states his argument so well, I will not repeat it here but instead I suggest that you read it if you are looking for more in-depth information on the report – you can find Makower’s article here. TerraChoice also published a companion guide for marketers which is a vague and pared down version of the longer report. It must be said that it is not the TerraChoice’s role as an environmental marketing firm to create concrete laws or rules – the purpose of the report is point out and explore the many ways that greenwashing occurs in the marketplace. In so doing, the report highlights some of the gaps in Canadian, US, Australian, and UK law concerning marketing legislation for environmental labeling. One possible solution to the problem of greenwashing is to appeal to national governments and demand that  appropriate guidelines and strong, clear, and concrete laws are implemented to ensure the prevention of  greenwashing.

Canadian environmental labeling standards are monitored by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and the Competition Bureau. Standards are determined in accordance to the International Standards Association guidelines pertaining to environmental labeling (ISO 14021 – Type II Self-declared environmental claims). For more information on the regulations in Canada, please click here.

A Marketing Head-Scratcher

On the same weekend that the Vancouver Sun newspaper was the presenting sponsor for the Epic Sustainable Living Expo in Vancouver, I received one of the most wasteful uses of packaging and plastic that I have seen in a long time delivered with my weekend paper.  A total of 36 grams of Nutella was wrapped in  plastic containers then wrapped in a cardboard box then wrapped in a plastic bag (59cm x 21.5cm).  Some of you may be aware that Nutella is trying to re-market themselves as a part of a nutritious/healthy breakfast.  Although I am not a dietitian, I am slightly skeptical about the nutritious merits of a chocolate hazelnut spread as a vital component of a balanced breakfast. That aside, there is nothing healthy about this blatant use of over packaging I have to wonder what the marketing company was thinking when they created this particular weekend giveaway.

Epic Sustainable Living Expo

Interested in the up and coming companies and products in the green sector or new eco-friendly products (or what passes for an eco-friendly product in some cases)? If you are looking for something to do this weekend in Vancouver (aside from mother’s day festivities and hockey playoffs of course), check out Epic Sustainable Living Expo May 8-10.

A Little About Greenwashing

After launching this blog the other day, it occurred to me that I should define the term “greenwashing” for those who who may be unfamiliar with it. TerraChoice, an environmental marketing firm, defines greenwashing as: “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service”. In 2007, TerraChoice published a document called The “Six Sins of Greenwashing™” and revealed that after conducting of survey of 1,018 consumer product bearing environmental claims, all but one product made either a false or misleading claim. The document offers helpful recommendations for consumers. If you are interested in learning more about this survey and their recommendation for consumers, I encourage you to read the document. The link can be found here. In a recent post on The Business Ethics Blog, Chris MacDonald, Ph.D also discusses the greenwashing. The article entitled “Self-Regulation of Environmental Advertising – including “Greenwashing” – in Australia”, and is definitely worth a read.

Sources: TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc.

Images from: getclosure and one million one shot

Starbucks’ Shared Planet Campaign™: Good PR or Too Little, Too Late?

Starbucks has made a guarantee that all their coffee will be ethically sourced by 2015 and that 100 percent of their cups will be reusable or recyclable. So why the change of heart? Why now?

It hasn’t been a secret that Starbucks has faced some business challenges in the past year. The coffee giant recently announced the closure of 800 stores in the US and 100 internationally . Starbucks has also dealt with protests and criticism regarding their fair-trade policies and their large environmental footprint.The Shared Plant Campaign™ is the intended the vehicle to overhaul Starbucks’ reputation.

For years, Starbucks has said that even though its Café Estima blend was its only FairTrade Certified Coffee that all their coffee was purchased at a fair price. I have always been skeptical of this claim. In light of Starbucks’ recent guarantee that by 2015 all their coffee will be ethically sourced, I wonder if they have always purchased coffee and fair prices, otherwise why choose to partner with TransFair(USA) and the FLO now? This is undoubtedly a move to ensure that their efforts are recognized, but does the average consumer really understand what FLO or TranFair Certified means? Probably not, and hopefully Starbucks will take the opportunity to educate their customers about the benefits of FairTrade and environmental sustainability.

Starbucks’ add campaign proclaiming “You and Starbucks. It’s bigger than coffee” is vague, and perhaps this lack of clarity is intended to drive traffic to the website and into stores in order to find out more. I can’t help wonder if those who already are curious about sustainability issues represent the largest number of hits to their Shared Planet site.  If Starbucks plays its cards right and actually commits to meeting their objective without greenwashing, a new standard could be set for the industry. Maybe, just maybe… but I must admit, I am slightly doubtful.