Green

One of the major issues I have today is the term ‘green’ in marketing of products. It’s not at all because I don’t believe in it, I just wonder exactly what it means.


Just last week, I needed to get my grey-suit cleaned after a mishap with some red-wine on my way to get some oranges and red grapefruits on a beautiful blue-sky Sunday morning. I was heading to my normal dry-cleaner when I noticed another one with the name ‘Green Cleaning’ on its awning. I walked in, dropped my suit off, got my ticket and felt like somebody kicked in my organic stomach. Ten seconds after I walked out it dawned on me, I had just been completely scammed by a sign. This was just a typical Korean owned dry-cleaner with clever marketing, not only was there nothing that indicated they were using non-toxic chemicals or kept said chemicals out of the water-supply the place reeked of carcinogens. I have to think that they were deciding on a new name of giving it a generic name like Community Cleaners they thought they could get away with a little bait-and-switch.  Their Green obviously refered to how much green they could be making from their green and gullible their customers.

Now I know it’s my job as a consumer (and tree hugger) to make sure that I’m doing my due diligence but when the marketing is such an obvious attempt to scam an innocent shopper. There has to be some kind of oversight where you can’t use names like ‘green’ when we all know it’s got implications which are much bigger than just the color.