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Marketers have been quick and willing participants in the Green Marketing movement. Some of proven to be hucksters, while others have proven to be responsible corporate citizens. Some products were rather lame excuses that sought to capitalize blindly on a misunderstood phenomenon, while others were well-thought responses to an intimate understanding of the problems facing our environment.

The lengthy list below examines many of the many "green" products introduced during this decade, the decade of the "greens." The reader is left to decide the merit of each product.

1. Transparent Products. In the early 1990s, manufacturers made their first foray into Green Marketing, but it was a faux step. In a misguided effort to appeal to consumer environmental sensibilities, a bevy of manufacturers trotted out a vurtually endless line of "clear" products that are now quite laughable, but at the time were seen as a legitimate Marketing response.


A leading contributor to the "clear" craze was the popularity of bottled water. First Perrier, and later Evian, became the liquid beverage of choice for millions of health-conscious consumers. The reasoning was quite simple: clear water--->clear everything! Remove the caramel colorings and dyes, and voila! you have a "green" product.

The stream of clear products was at first impressive, but quickly became ludicrous. Amoco introduced Crystal Clear motor oil ("the better to lubricate your engine, my dear"). There was Ban Clear deodorant to keep you smelling good, and Ivory Clear to wash your dishes. Miller Clear Beer was introduced in limited areas, but it looked like a mug of water with a head on it. Coca Cola introduced Tab Clear, which was clearly a me-too of Crystal Pepsi.

In fact, it was the revelation that Crystal Pepsi was really plain old Pepsi minus caramel coloring and about 27 calories that got people to thinking. In 1993, National Public Radio's All Things Considered charged that advertisers were "playing mind games with the American public." Clear products suddenly became the laughingstock of American Marketing, and manufacturers quickly started "clearing" their product lines of these flimsy excuses for product innovation. Saturday Night Live even parodied the "clear" movement, ridiculing it with their "Crystal Gravy" commercial spoof.

2. The CD Long Box. The original packaging for compact discs was twice the size of the actual CD. The original 6 X 12 inch container had a threefold purpose: to fit in retailer LP bins two abreast, to promote the CD (with artwork), and to thwart would-be shoplifters. Critics argued that the discarded long boxes constituted 20 million pounds of garbage each year. When the US recording industry made the switch to selling discs without the boxes, they were the last country in the world to do so. Opinions differ on why the change was finally made, ranging from environmental concerns to financial issues. Still, the changeover forced retailers to use new store fixtures to accommodate the smaller packages. Furthermore, it forced retailers to invest in expensive theft deterrent systems whereby each item had a magnetic device affixed to it that would trigger an alarm if it had not been deactivated by a cashier.
3. McDonald's halted their use of polystyrene sandwich packaging in 1990, replacing it with quilted paper wrappers. With much media fanfare, the fast food giant quickly won the hearts of "green" consumers thanks to their changeover. What McDonald's did not tell anyone was that the "quilted" paper wrappers they changed to actually had an inner layer of plastic sandwiched between two layers of outer paper. The plastic helped retain heat as well as juices, but was not as environmentally friendly as McDonald's would have people believe.
4. Tom's of Maine. In 1970, Tom and Kate Chappell formed a new kind of health and beauty aid (HBA) firm in Kennebunkport, Maine. Their plan was to create products that were more healthful to use than their counterparts, yet were also in tune with the environment. Their philosophy is that humans, animals, and nature all deserve respect and dignity, and this social consciousness would be the driving force behind all of their products.


Tom's of Maine lives what it preaches. Their products contain no additives, preservatives, artificial flavors, or fragrances. Their packages are made of recycled materials (toothpaste), or are themselves refillable or recyclable (deodorant and anti-perspirants). Tom's also beat the government to the draw by plastering its package labels with detailed content analysis.

The company takes its commitment to the community and the environment very seriously. Its employees are allowed flex-time schedules, and job-sharing is common. Ten-percent of pre-tax profits are donated to charitable causes, with the majority going to environmental concerns.

Tom's products are now going mainstream. Once the mainstay of the health food store, Tom's is now regularly carried by major supermarkets and mass merchandisers, even though it commands 20- to 50-percent higher prices than its rivals. The company has been growing at 25- to 30-percent annually, and has become the number three or four brand in many markets across the country.

5. Blue Sky Beverages of Santa Fe, NM, has made the transition from health food store distribution, to widespread regional drink. While it, too, promotes "clear" sodas, it has always had clear sodas, and only clear sodas (as opposed to Pepsi and Tab). Even the warehouse giant Sam's Club has become a retailer of Blue Sky.


While there are many other brands of similar soda, only Blue Sky has been able to achieve massive distribution. Other players include R.J. Corr's (which once had a lawsuit problem with a brewery of a similar name), and Knuden's. The entgire line of naturally-flavored sodas is free from artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives.

6. Arrowhead Mills, of Hereford, TX, is a relatively unknown leader in the production and distribution of organically-produced products. Although they are prominent in health food stores, they are also becoming common in large supermarkets, especially along the west coast.


All of their products are certified organic, meaning that no pesticides or other chemicals were used on the plant or the soil it grows in. Arrowhead Mills abides by California's very strict organic food requirements, which even regulate how long soil must be chemical-free before "organic" food can be grown on it.

Arrowhead Mills prides itself in offering a wide variety of products that are not only wholesome and safe to eat, but also quite hard to find. For example, it markets numerous products made from spelt, kamut, amaranth, and quinoa. These "forgotten" grains are in most cases far healthier than our traditional wheat, which is an incomplete protein, and causes allergic problems for many (unbeknownst to them).

7. Dolphin-free Tuna. Although Greenpeace lobbied for this, it was primarily brought about by the activism of a new breed of environmentalists: Green Teens. These ecologically-aware youngsters put the squeeze on the industry, and helped force Star Kist in 1989 to sell only "dolphin-free tuna."


The issue only gained notoriety after it was revealed that, in the process of gathering tuna in large nets, dolphins were also inadvertently attracted to the scene. Unwittingly, they helped cause the death of many dolphins. Since dolphins remain a popular creature in the hearts of many (remember the old TV show Flipper?), the reaction was to be expected.

8. Pedro's is a manufacturer of bicycle accessory items, but they are unique in that they are all made from recycled milk jugs. While their product line is somewhat limited, they have been very successful with tire levers and other plastic items that can be created from this postconsumer waste.
9. Other "Green" Products. Green Market has an extensive online selection of "green" products available to consumers. Many of these products are rather difficult to locate; Green Market prides itself in providing this service to environmentally-concerned consumers. Among their products are the following:
• The Chromalux Bulb, which last twice as long as ordinary incandescents, and provides the closest thing to natural light.
• Dishmate, a dishwashing fluid made from coconuts, almonds, and cherries (sounds like something to put on ice cream!), and contains no harsh chemicals.
• Orange Plus, a natural cleaner and degreaser made from orange peels.
• Ecos Laundry Detergent, a fully biodegradable cleaner without all those nasty phosphates and other chemicals.
• The Rainshow'r Chlorine Shower Filter, which removes over 90-percent of the chlorine from your shower water.
• The Sun Pipe, which is a relatively simple and inexpensive skylight. The Sun Pipe will brighten any room at one-half to one-eighth the cost of standard skylights.
• The Deodorant Stone, which is reportedly 300-percent more effective than commercial deodorants, and contains no aluminum.
• The Green Cone System, a large plastic outdoor device for disposing of food scraps. Essentially a composting system, it is designed to keep animals out, and needs to be emptied only once every two or three years.

These products certainly run the gamut. Virtually anything can be made into a "green" product with a little thought and planning. There is, to be certain, a "green" equivalent for practically every product on the market. An electric car is "green" compared to its internal cumbustion engine cousins. A house with aluminum framework is "green" compared to other homes made of plywood and particle board and treated 2X4s. And fluorescent lightbulbs are "green" compared to their energy-hogging incandescent counterparts.

But not all "green" products are this meritorious. Many of the so-called "green" products are of dubious intent, often the output of companies seeking to merely look good at a time when it pays to be "green." Crystal Pepsi and Tab Clear were both cheap and easy responses to market demand, but in reality were a letdown to consumers. The product was only "green" to the extent that its color was removed; the balance was as unhealthy as ever.

The 1990s has witnessed a rapid transition and evolution of the "green" movement. Indeed, in the early 1990s, it was a New Age Novelty, but a Nineties Sensibility has (thankfully) taken hold as consumers have learned to see "through" the "clear" smokescreen to the heart of the matter: there really is a need for a deep concern over humanity and the environment. And clear beers and sodas are not going to solve the problem.

As the specter of rapid population growth, finite resources, and long-term effects of environmental ignorance begin to weigh ever more heavily on consumers and policymakers alike, Green Marketing will become less rhetoric and more lifestyle and law.

Already in many US communities, recycling is mandated, and violators are prosecuted. Residents must separate their trash into paper, plastic, aluminum, glass, etc., and use separate trash containers for each. On trash pick-up day, a rainbow of plastic bins lines the curbs of urban and suburban communities.

As further evidence of this creeping enviro-law, states and communities have made it illegal to dump motor oil or automotive batteries, and vehicle tires now carry a recycling fee. Other communities, like Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Denver, have partial or outright bans on wintertime use of fireplaces. Furthermore, many communities have regulations regarding the toilets in new structures: they must be water-misers.

The proliferation of these laws, plus the rising public consciousness, create not threats for Marketers, but rather a plethora of opportunities. The cheesy opportunism of the early 1990s will be replaced by necessity, urgency, and responsibility in the years to come.

And future Earth Days won't be observed by just counter-culture flower children, but rather average citizens and corporations.

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