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Green screens
While I'm psyched about all of the attention given to environmental issues lately it was only a matter of time before green product claims became self-parody. Witness the phenomenon, as reported in Rob Walker's Consumed column this week, of Credit Covers - decorative "skins" to personalize credit cards. A key selling point: the skins are "sweatshop free" and "carbon neutral."
Environmental claims are a dime a dozen but I'm hard-pressed to think of a more worthless product that uses them. Here's an environmentally friendly thought: don't wrap your credit cards in unnecessary packaging. And to the guy who sells this crap: You want to be carbon neutral? Stop breathing.
Posted by carrie on 05/30/2007 | Permalink
Comments
So I'm a little confused Carrie, only certain products/companies should try to be socially responsible? For a company selling millions of a hot consumer product, I commend the guy for taking steps to have a sustainable business. He could easily have outsourced production to a third world country and belched out smog. I usually love your blog, but it seems you might just a be a little jealous you didn't start this trend.. We should be happy that even small "worthless" companies (presumably more "worthless" than StayFree;) ), are taking the time to be responsible.. They are also using this company as a way to generate awareness around social issues, giving all proceeds to charity... Which begs the question, are YOU carbon neutral? How much does your mag/blog contribute to global causes... Check yourself before you wreck yourself Carrie...
XXXOOO,
Heather!
Posted by: Heather Fox | Jun 1, 2007 9:22:45 AM
selling millions of a hot consumer product
Ha! You must be doing their publicity.
giving all proceeds to charity
If that's in the story I missed it.
it seems you might just a be a little
jealous you didn't start this trend
And here is where you went off the rails completely. What possible grounds could you have for claiming Carrie is jealous? Is her history littered with failed commercial ventures? Was Ralph Nader just jealous of the auto industry?
Posted by: Charles Star | Jun 1, 2007 12:41:51 PM
Heather, I'm not going to get into the whole "my compost pile is bigger than yours" debate, which is juvenille and irrelevant. My point is that it's absurd to promote a product as "carbon neutral" when the most carbon neutral thing to do is not sell or buy it at all. Credit Covers are mere packaging for something that doesn't need packaging.
Posted by: carrie | Jun 1, 2007 12:54:10 PM
I think you're letting them off easy with "worthless." My soul is shriveling up just from knowing that product exists.
Posted by: John | Jun 7, 2007 10:19:58 AM
Ok, so I don't know if they're selling millions... BUT iPod skins, etc. are a $100m+ a year industry -- are "they" carbon neutral?
And whether or not you want one is irrelevant... Millions of people buy ipod skins, laptop skins, cell phone face plates, designer clothing, wallpaper, etc. Not a life staple - but something used to change the appearance of something else.
And yes, "My point is that it's absurd to promote a product as "carbon neutral" when the most carbon neutral thing to do is not sell or buy it at all."
That can be said for 99% of all products.. including this blog, it would be better for the environment if we didn't spend energy reading it. (No offense). But thats the truth with all products. The point of carbon neutral, is you attempt to mitigate the impact.
It was an unfair attack on a company / guy who is making a fun product that many people seem to like and who is trying to help out the environment.
It's a stretch to compare this blog post with Nader's "Unsafe at Any Speed." Ha.
And, yes, he's giving proceeds to charity.
"he’s planning a “Save Darfur” card skin, with proceeds going to charities." - from the NY Times Article.
You people need to crawl out of your self-pity holes and try to enjoy a shred of positivity now and again. Must you always be looking for someone else's success to tear apart?
Posted by: Heather Fox | Jun 10, 2007 12:08:53 PM
Wow I know this guy! He told me about this idea over drinks one night and I just laughed, like who the hell would actually BUY that? Guess I was wrong...
Posted by: littled | Jun 12, 2007 2:11:57 PM
