Green labels are very loosely defined worldwide. These labels are defined mostly by the companies or organizations which are promoting a product, service, initiative or business as green.

Generally we can say that when a Green Label is used, the promoter is stating that they are reducing the impact which their products or operations have on the earth.

 

There are always intentional and unintentional exceptions. 

 

If you do a search for "Green label", up pops an image of scotch. If you take a closer look at some "Green" labels you will find out that there was no third-party review process involved in this determination. What is worse, after doing some research you might find out that this Green Label is telling half-truths which pale in comparison to the real scale and atrocities of their business' impact on the ecosystem (humans included).

We call this lack of transparency paired with glammed up half-truths as "Green Washing".   

 

As a consumer, the power is yours.

Some of us want to buy "green" to reduce the impact of our lifestyles on the ecosystem. We understand that the earth is constantly providing us with ecosystem services free of cost especially when we consider that some Green labeled products/services will cost you more on the front end. If you undertsnad why, then you will buy any product or support any business that at least cares enough to label themselves as green.

 

Unfotunately, some "Green labeled" products cost more, but again if we think about how much we value our own well-being, we can spend a little extra on these products if we have the money to do so. This can be likened to returning the investment which the earth always makes in us. 

 

The good news is that as more of us buy products with a "green label", the cost of doing business in a more responsible way will go down, based on economies of scale. For a while scales have been tipped in favour  of doing business in a quick and dirty way with a myopic perspective on efficiency.

 

For example, dumping a bucket of grease in the ocean is more efficient NOW for a business based along the coast but in the near future the risk of fouling the very recreational area which brings you customers BECAUSE of your location will cost you soon enough. If anyone was to actually take a picture  of this practice in an island dependent on tourism, we all know how far that damage could reach. This is large-scale inefficiency. 

 

So back to the good news - there are a wide variety of products which are NOT more expensive but yet reduce our impact on our ecosystem. Some green products actually cost us less! They may not all be as convenient to find but they are out there.

 

There are also a number of Caribbean based businesses and products which may not actually pay for third party green label review but are willing to show their customers exactly what they do to reduce their impact.

 

One certification program based in Barbados (Green Business Barabdos) certifies businesses to determine their level of "green-ness" in a 5 Tier system. Between 2014-2015, 21 businesses were certified by this Future Centre Trust program which was funded both by participating businesess and the IADB Multilateral Fund. This program used the UN Environmental Programme's definition for "green economy" to create a program specific definition for a Green Business. Any business which completes the GBB process is certifed as green for one year.

 

One of the goals of the Green Business Barbados program was to create examples of what a "green business" would look like in the Caribbean way. Should we have a Caribbean way of being green? Certainly, in fact many businesses may already adopt green practices considering the nature of island economies, but they do not identify with this label for many reasons. One of these reasons is that many of the organizations which promote green practices in the Caribbean region heavily rely on U.K.,U.S., Australian and Canadian models which are rarely explained in context to our Caribbean nuances. This is understandable, however the general public can assist with defining green in a Caribbean way by speaking up when businesses implement solutions without consideration of the fragility of our ecosystem or our cultural preferences.

 

So we (Better Caribbean) encourage consumers to speak up about what you think businesses should do to reduce business impact on the ecosystem and in particular our health. 

Ask them directly. Let them know that you won't support certain practices, for example the excessive use of plastic bags. Let them know by your actions as a consumer.For example, refuse plastic bags and styrofoam. Take pictures of practices which are environmentally irresponsible and ask these businesses direcly. You can email us your comments and pictures and we will approach these businesses diplomatically with solutions.    

 

It is up to us to validate the truths of green marketing. Everytime you make a decision to spend your money, remember that the power is yours to make a difference.