Source: BuyGreen.com
Published: Friday, February 22, 2008

BuyGreen.com, a leading distributor of green and eco-friendly products, announced the official implementation of its proprietary "Green Standards" program. These standards, which are applied to all products available through the BuyGreen website, provide the consumer with a tool to help them better understand why a product is 'green' and to what extent it is 'eco-friendly.'

BuyGreen.com requires their suppliers and manufacturers to complete a questionnaire on every product before being considered for sale on BuyGreen.com. The information provided through this process allows the BuyGreen team to apply a Green Standards rating, which is based primarily on a 'lifecycle' view of each product. This lifecycle analysis considers four basic areas -- the source materials from which the product is made, the manufacturing processes, the impact the product has on people and the environment when used, and how the product is or can be disposed of.

To assign the Green Standards rating, BuyGreen.com completes an internal review process on all information submitted by product manufacturers. Once products have met BuyGreen.com's minimum standards in respect to toxicants and animal testing, the Green Standards apply a score to each product based on a scale ranging from 1 to 100, 100 being best. In addition, the standards rate the product in respect to meeting the minimum requirements in each of the four lifecycle areas. The Green Standards are designed to communicate complex product information in a transparent, uniform and simple format. The score is provided to customers with a quick reference rating emblem for every product, and in addition they may access a two page report which provides detailed product information.

"We like to say there is no black and white when it comes to green products," states Allison Huke, President of BuyGreen.com. "Generally, there are good green alternatives to many of the traditional products we use every day, but in many cases, there may be multiple alternatives that address different environmental issues and address them to varying degrees. We have found that while there are a growing number of products available which are marketed as being green, product claims can often be misleading or hard to confirm. Using our Green Standards, we are providing product transparency for our customers by giving them useful information that enables them to decide whether a particular product meets their personal definitions of 'green.' Our customers can easily refer to the Green Standards ratings for each individual product to gain perspective on the impact their purchases may have on their health and the environment."

In addition to offering earth-conscious products through its online marketplace, BuyGreen.com also serves as a resource to help educate consumers about the environment and steps we can all take to make a difference.