interpreting what you see on labels

As green consumers, we need to be particularly aware of what we are buying, which includes several things. Trying to buy local products, or the products that have to travel the fewest number of miles to reach you, whenever possible. (Amazon.com or local bookstore?) We also want to be aware of the whole life of the product, from the resources used in the production, to the potentially hazardous by-products, to what remains when the product or packaging is disposed of.

Even as a discerning shopper, there are words that appear on labels that can be deceiving. For example, what do words like "green" and "natural" really mean? We can group these terms into five categories: Patent Pending, Physical Attribute, Undefined and Unregulated, Defined and Unregulated, and Defined and Regulated. The words apply to food, cleaning products, paper products, home electronics, plastics, personal care products, and vehicles. So, here goes!

Patent Pending:

-free range, free roaming, or pasture raised beef and pork
-grass fed
-no hormone administered (beef)

--> Someday, these words may mean something; for now, there's no way to know for sure.

Attributes: (straight product descriptions)

-reclaimed, recovered, salvaged
-electric, hybrid, biodiesel, or fuel cell
-solar powered
-LCD

now for the fun stuff!

Undefined and Unregulated: Don't know what it is, don't know what you get!

-green
-pesticide free/no pesticide residue
-rBGH free/ rBST free (for dairy products)
-renewable
-low or no VOCs (volatile organice chemicals)
-nontoxic
-phosphate free
-energy efficient
-refurbished
-tree free
-recyclable, recycled (plastics)
-chemical free
-fluoride free
-fuel efficient

Defined and Unregulated: You know what it is, you don't know what you get!

-diodegradable
-recyclable, recycled (in general product use)
-cage free (eggs, poultry)
-free range chicken
-GMO or GE free (genetically modified organism or genetically engineered)
-No antibiotics used/Raised without antibiotics
-natural
-ozone safe/ozone friendly
-CFC free (chloroflorocarbons)
-low emissions vehicle

--> I felt slighted after seeing this list. How many times have i paid extra bucks for cage-free eggs, free-range, antibiotic-free chicken?? (Or so i thought...) This is not to say that i have no trust in manufacturers; it is to say that there are a lot of greedy people who want to get on board with the "organic" etc. food movement, and i don't put it past them to perpetrate a fraud until there are regulations in place.

I want to stress that when you buy "free range chicken," (defined/unregulated) you may very well be getting what you think. The lesson here is to do a little more investigating into the companies you regularly buy from rather than just trusting the labels. Another good solution is to find a local farm you can purchase you eggs from. Then you are more likely to know what you are getting, you are supporting the local economy. Additionally, building relationships with those who supply your food is a great way to get your consumer needs heard.

Back to the list, I try to buy products made with recycled or recyclable packaging. I know what can be recycled where i live, but i like for companies to let me know when they are using (preferably post-consumer) recycled packaging. The word "natural" of course is a throw-away. Lastly, "CFC-free" being unregulated on packaging surprises me. This is a chemical that has been regulated since 1989! (see http://ozone.unep.org/Treaties_and_Ratification/2B_montreal_protocol.shtml) weird...

And now for the safe list.

Defined and Regualted: You know what it is, you know what you get!

-Green Seal http://www.greenseal.org/
-animal care certified
-free farmed (dairy, egge, poultry, meat)
-organic--certified
-sustainable fishery--certified
-Green-e http://www.green-e.org/
-chlorine free/totally chlorine free--certified
-energy star rated
-sustainable forestry--certified

*The above information came from a great little book i'm reading called It's Easy Being Green by Crissy Trask.

I once heard Elizabeth Kolbert (author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe) reply at a reading that although it is important to "vote" for companies with our consumer dollars, this is not a substitute for not taking action on other fronts. Even if GM switched to a much more savvy mpg fleet, this is only one step toward addressing the global warming problem. So don't make smart buying choices and think you're doing your part for a better world. The best thing we can do is stop buying so much unnecessary crap and reduce our use of energy in other ways. The next best thing is to buy responsibly in addition to a diet of green living.