subject: Factors To Consider When Choosing A Green Laundry Detergent [print this page] These days, more and more companies are bringing out green laundry detergents but are these really as green as they say they are? A recent Green washing study released in 2010 looks at 7 crucial factors to take into account:
1.The Hidden Trade Off some companies will suggest that their products are green by taking into account a set of wholly unreasonable attributes, whilst ignoring other fundamental environmental issues. One such example would be paper people claim that simply because this can be produced from sustainable forests, that it is necessarily environmentally friendly whereas this might not necessarily be the case. It is of course very hard to find the perfect product which has no negative impact but take the time to look for the best option.
a.Proof does the company have proof that their green laundry detergent is actually that? Beware of companies who claim to have a 99% green and sustainable product without proof - if they had proof, then why would they not make this easily accessible?
2.Vagueness look at the wording on the product. For example the phrase all natural does not necessarily mean that it is a green product. Examples of all natural products which are clearly not green and indeed are toxic and poisonous are uranium and mercury.
3.Irrelevance beware of irrelevant statements which mean absolutely nothing in the context of a product. Take the example of products which say CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) which have been banned by law but still we have products which tell us this as if it is an added benefit it is not!
4.False claims it is very for companies to write on their product that their product has been certified by a certain standard or organization make sure that you actually check this out. If they have been certified, then it will be easy to find this out from the certifying board. Dont compromise on the quality of your green laundry detergent without checking that everything is true. If the company has lied about being certified, then what else have they lied about.
5.Endorsements lots of companies frequently put images or quotes from celebrities as a way of endorsing their products. Sometimes this may be done in a confusing manner so as to claim that this person is actually endorsing the product when they are not actually doing so. Again, use all the resources available to you to make sure that you find the perfect green laundry detergent for you
6.Company Reputation if you have never heard of the green laundry detergent company, then this may already concern you. There are many up and coming legitimate companies who produce great products so dont dismiss a company because you have never heard of them. Find out more information about the company, have a look at their website, and if you still want some information then call the company up and speak to a representative.
These are just some of the factors which you should consider when purchasing a green laundry detergent. You may for example have other requirements so make sure you pick the perfect detergent for you by making valuable use of all the information out there. The internet is a great medium for information; however you should be aware that not everything you read on the internet, or even on a detergent label, is true!
