How to Tell If a Company Is Green

In the age of climate change, it is crucial to know which companies are fighting against catastrophic environmental issues. A 2017 study shows that only 100 companies are responsible for a whopping 70% of all gas emissions. As a result, many people decided to boycott these big polluters in favour of eco-friendly companies.

However, many companies market themselves as ‘green’, even if that’s not really the case. While there is no definitive way to tell whether a company is 100% eco-friendly or not, these tips can help guide you in the right direction.

Search the Internet

We live in an era of technology, so why shouldn’t we put it to good use? Searching the internet for green companies is easier than ever. When looking for ways to recycle your old belongings, you can find, for example, this rubbish removal company from London, whose label that says they are environment-friendly. The moral of the story is to put your search engine to good use.

Check the Ratings

There are numerous resources on the internet to check a company’s rating. These websites rate everything the company does, from production to shipping, as to give you an all-around impression of the company’s business ethics. This is important because some companies DO make ‘green’ products, but pollute during disposal, for example.

It is crucial to know that your company is eco-friendly in all aspects.

Ask Around

This is a pretty simple step, but it is very effective nonetheless. There are a plethora of low/zero-waste communities that are knowledgeable of the practices of companies that claim to be green. These communities are very friendly and will answer all of your questions.

Check the Packaging

While this step is a bit time-consuming, it is one of the most important ones. As previously mentioned, companies will sometimes market themselves as eco-friendly, so make sure that the packaging itself is made from recyclable materials. Yet again, the internet is going to help you with this step. Just search for recyclable materials and you should be getting a good idea of what they are.

Hint: Plastic is definitely NOT recyclable (in most cases).

Problem with the ‘Eco-Friendly’ Label

As mentioned before, you should take the ‘green’ label with a grain of salt. More and more people are becoming aware of the negative impact humans have on our planet. As a result, people are turning to green alternatives to try and reduce waste.

However, companies are aware of this and will use the words ‘green’ and ‘eco-friendly’ to market themselves to low-waste communities. The fact is, labels like ‘environmentally safe’ and ‘eco-friendly’ have no standard definition. This means that you need to do your research if you want to support truly green companies. A little tree sticker on the product does not mean the company is actually friendly to the environment.

What to Do Instead

Use Less

The fact that a company is using greener alternatives doesn’t mean they don’t impact the environment. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is simply reduce the number of products that you are using. For example, instead of buying the ‘eco-friendly’ all-purpose cleaner, you can simply make your own at home. This tip saves you money AND helps the environment, it’s a win-win!

Confront the Company

If you are unsure about a company’s practices, just ask them. They will go in detail how green they actually are, and you can find contact information on most businesses online.

Look for Specific Claims

Instead of vague labels such as ‘good for the planet’, look for things like ‘100% recycled’ which show concrete reasons why the product is eco-friendly.

Watch out for Misleading Claims

On the other hand, you should look out for labels that sound like they are green when they aren’t. For example, saying that something is ‘100% recyclable’ is not the same as when something is ‘100% recycled’. When something is recyclable, it just means that YOU can recycle it if you want, or just throw it out if you don’t. When a product is recycled, it means that the company has taken steps to reduce waste.

Conclusion

Companies love to label themselves as ‘green’. As a result, it is crucial to do research on the company you are interested in and take a better look at their practices. Join low-waste communities for more input, or search the internet.

The most important thing is that you are making an effort to change, and the Earth is thankful for that.