It’s always been hard to tell, because many, many criteria need to be looked at comprehensively to assess a carbon footprint. In the last few years, the phenomenon of “greenwashing”- accentuating or inflating a company or product’s greenness- has made it even harder.
November 2008’s issue of Kitchen and Bath Business puts these questions forth for use in stamping out “greenwash”:
Does the product have an EPD? (environmental product declaration) If not….
Does the product have an LCA? (life cycle assessment) If not….
What material is the product made of?
From where does the raw material come?
How is the raw material extracted and processed?
What is added to the product?
How is it made?
How is the material delivered?
How is the product installed?
How well does the product perform?
How will it be maintained?
How long will it last?
At the end of its life, can it be reused, recycled or upcycled?
Systems are being developed to do the classification we need to truly assess products. In the meantime, do the research you need to avoid being duped by greenwashing!
