Companies use a method called LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), to judge whether the choices they make is truly green. This involves studying the implication/costs of a product from raw material to final disposal. This includes the transportation cost (often where green, loses its green-ness), potential cost from needing additional processing. For example, a product might need twice the amount of water to be made organically, then the burden to our fresh water supply might outweigh the organic benefit. This mentality is one I think we can all consider in our daily life.
For example, I use to avoid buying meat that came prepackaged in individual packages. We were all taught the additional burden to our landfill. However, when I got home, I still ended up separating it into ziplock bags. Now I might use less bags than the individual wrapping, but these ziplock bags are much more durable than the cheap individual packaging the meat came in. Am I really lessening the space at landfills? Especially since I do not know if those individual packaging might have been produced by sugar cane versus petroleum, so less harmful to our limited resources.
Another question a friend recently asked of me is whether Starbucks reusable containers are truly better for the environment than their paper counterpart. I responded with a very definitive of course they are. But then he made me consider how the paper will decompose faster in the landfill or be recycled, but those reusable plastic containers could sit there for decades. When I seemed to be changing my mind, he then asked me to consider the beginning of paper cups. What I am truly saving is not the landfill space, but more likely the cutting of trees. However, Starbucks cups are made from recycled paper so again how much am I saving? I am still not sure which is better, because the cup cover still is plastic. However, I am more conscious of my decisions.Estimating the true cost of my choices is difficult or even impossible, but truly considering whether a product is green beyond what its label says takes only a moment.
