That’s right, there is another green term starting to make the rounds on the internet, PRECYCLING! (seen on The Alternative Consumer) As if we didn’t have enough already! Eco-friendly, Green, upcycling, downcycling, recycle, reuse, reduce, sustainable, organic, renewable, cage-free, carbon foot print, carbon neutral, certified organic, LEED, fair-trade, pre- and post consumer recycled… the list goes on.

While consumers should be aware of the true definitions for all of these words you have to keep in mind this… you are a consumer! You are being marketed to and you need to educate your self so that you don’t get taken in by all the greenwashing(haha there’s another one!) that’s out there.

I introduced my boyfriend to toothpaste that did not contain sodium lauryl sulfate a known irritant (no it won’t give you cancer but it will irritate your skin) and low and behold he hasn’t had a canker sore since. But last weekend he bought new toothpaste and as soon as I began using it my mouth started burning and I saw he bought the wrong kind. He did everything right, he chose a known eco-friendly brand from the eco-friendly/green isle. So what went wrong? Greenwashing alert! These companies are so good at making us think that their product is what we want. Don’t buy into it, educate yourself. And for goodness sake never say the word precycling. ‘k, thanks!

(Image above and a great article you should read: Get Closure- When Green Gets Murky )

(Resources: Natural Health Information Center, Alternative Consumer)