I ordered a PEVA shower curtain liner (see the moldy curtain saga) and it came with a feel-good message on the plastic package:
Green bubbles mean "no carbon footprint." Right?
However, any urge toward self-congratulation that this message might have inspired was immediately canceled out by the rest of the stuff that accompanied my purchase:
One plastic envelope, two big catalogs and an extra-large invoice! But wait, there’s more:
An ad on glossy cardstock for a 100 percent environmentally-unfriendly product!
People sometimes say that online shopping is green because it means you don’t have to drive to the store, but I’m pretty convinced that’s a fantasy. When you buy something on the web, you have no control over how the thing is packaged and what kinds of unwanted crap will get stuffed into the envelope along with whatever you bought. Plus, the package will probably get delivered by a giant truck.
I’m of half a mind to write to this company and let them know that if they’re going to tout some of their wares as eco-friendly, they should really follow up with some basic green business practices. If they send me any more catalogs, they’ll definitely hear from me.