I am not sure if the “green” articles from the New York Times supplement in the Süddeutsche Zeitung represent the actual proportion of ecologically oriented articles in the original. However, it is noticeable that this week, too, “green” topics occupy a prominent position.
It is stated on the first page that eco-shopping is hip, followed by the question of whether it also makes sense. More and more eco-products are filling supermarket shelves, and some people wonder what exactly is “eco” about certain products. For example, it makes little sense to buy biologically flawless vegetables if they have been flown in from China on a 747. Additionally, the “eco light” trend is criticized because it conveys that the planet can be saved by choosing different products in the supermarket, as 35 million Americans already do, according to the NYT. There is no such thing as eco-consumption, say the hardliners, the only solution is to significantly reduce the consumption of resources and goods.
And so the environmental protection camp is divided into two parts, the “Old School”, which preaches an almost ascetic lifestyle on the one hand, and the camp of those who ease their conscience through the consumption of eco-products. The media as well as marketing departments are held responsible for having declared environmental protection a fashion trend that distracts from important issues.
The criticism is not shared by all, which could also be due to the fact that environmental protection organizations are now being heard at all. Thus, eco-consumption has led to environmentalists no longer being seen as just tree-hugging hippies, according to the Greenpeace USA chief. Moreover, it’s a good first step. One hopes to activate the broad masses for actions through this. Because through individual consumption of eco-products, not much can be changed; rather, it is politicians and the economy that must be forced to make changes.
Another article in the same issue describes the efforts of Home Depot with their eco-label. Thus, Home Depot had sent a message to the suppliers of over 170,000 products sold in their own range, asking if they wanted to participate in the eco-label program. Over 60,000 products were suddenly “eco”, but Home Depot only accepted 2,500 of them. While this is still too much for some because the standards are not high enough, Home Depot is seeking cooperation with suppliers to improve the products and sell up to 6,000 products under the eco-label. However, it is also criticized that Home Depot could already do a lot for the environment if it banned environmentally harmful products from its shelves.
Meanwhile, Home Depot is working with the company Scientific Certificate Systems to examine products for their ecological harmlessness. In contrast to Energy Star, it’s not just being investigated how much electricity a device consumes, but also how much energy was used in its production and whether the recycling of the products was planned from the outset.
Another article describes the comeback of tap water in San Francisco. Filtered water from the faucet is offered to guests in glass jugs to avoid disposable bottles. This started in a few restaurants, but it wasn’t until high-end upscale restaurants began doing it that the press took notice. Today, restaurants on the East Coast are also following this trend. With $200-350 million in sales from bottled water, this trend could cause sweat drops on the foreheads of beverage producers. On the other hand, it also means a loss of revenue for restaurants, as the margin on bottled water is very high.
The Tap Water mode follows another movement described as “eat local”. This offer, which also originated in California (where else?), includes only products that have been created in the immediate vicinity (whatever “immediate” is defined as in the States). And so it doesn’t make sense for water either, if water bottles are transported thousands of kilometers just to be able to offer St. Pellegrino in California.
However, it is also the consumers who must be convinced of the benefits, because the beverage industry has invested a lot of marketing money in equating purity and promoting well-being with the consumption of premium water.