SC Johnson was one of the leaders when they developed a system of classifying ingredients in their products through their “Greenlist” process in 2001. Using that list of ingredients, products like Windex and Pledge have been reformulated to increase biodegradability and to decrease the amount of volatile organic compounds.

Increasing biodegradability is one of the easiest ways to decrease the environmental impact of a product. This thinking has led companies like Frito Lay to develop things like compostable bags for their Sun Chips brand. We have reached a point where green marketing is threatening to become a marketing niche – nothing more than a fad. Producers are introducing green products in an attempt to appeal to consumers within the niche, not necessarily as an attempt to join the green movement themselves.

This fine line is also a tipping point. Not only does a producer’s motivation come into question, but so too does the motivation of the consumer. Identifying oneself as “green” today means a much different thing than it did in the earlier years of the green movement. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman noted this as a problem five years ago already. With more people identifying themselves as green than ever, Friedman was convinced that we have yet to realize what long-term green really is.

“Green has hit Main Street…but it’s still less than a new way of life,” he said.

This green arena has opened up the possibility for companies to capitalize on the interests of the consumer by creating “green” products that amount to no more than gimmicks. A judgment call on this cannot be made hastily, but questions must be raised as they pertain to some products.

One such example is a product I saw advertised on television today, an electronics battery that claimed a life four-times longer than its competitor. As a result, the company claimed, there would be four times fewer of their batteries thrown away, which would help the environment.

And then there’s the general case of the way that green products are promoted. Companies would be hypocritical to call themselves “green” without changing the way they process and promote green products, as well as changing the products themselves.