“Green” Products Are Sending Up A Red Flag? 「綠色」產品名符其實嗎？3

Green’s still growing

Still, there are some companies that are honestly trying to make improvements and help the environment. And with a little knowledge and careful examination of lables, you can learn which ones are legitimate and which are just telling lies. First, pick out items endorsed by environmentally friendly institutions you know and trust. Then look for details. A true eco-friendly claim will be specific, not vague. Phrases like “all-natural” or “Mother Earth-approved” mean very little and are just there to help sell the product.

Also, the kind of store you shop at matters. Large-scale or “big-box” retail stores that are well-known are more likely to sell items with accurate claims on their labels. Companies that manufacture things like paper products, building materials or other recyclables may have more experience in the green industry. These companies are more likely to print accurate labels than companies with less experience, like those that make toys or baby-care items. In their study, TerraChoice found that 4.5 percent of the products they surveyed made accurate claims for eco-friendliness on their labels. This may seem small, but it’s a big improvement over the 2 percent in 2009 and 1 percent in 2007. It’s gradually becoming easier to help support the environment as the green industry becomes healthier and more sustainable.

legitimate 合法的、正統的

endorse 背書、認可、贊同

institutionàorganization

retail 零售

【Chat room】

carefully examine labels 細心的檢視標籤

between the lines 看出字裡行間的意思、言外之意

read between the lines 細心、謹慎的閱讀

【Key word】

legitimate 合法的、正當的

Peter is the legitimate heir to the heritage.

Peter是繼承這份遺產的合法繼承人

Our business is completely legitimate.

我們的生意完全合法

It’s legitimate to inquire about the government’s process of making decisions.

詢問政府作決策的過程是合法的

endorse背書支持、認可

Many celebrities endorsed this product.

有許多名人為這個產品背書

Many school teachers endorsed this new educational policy.

許多學校的老師支持這個新的教育制度

The sporting goods company paid a fortune to get this player to endorse their products.

這家運動公司花了大筆的錢讓這位運動員背書他們的產品

sustainable 永續性的、不破壞生態平衡的

sustain維持

The sustainable sales growth proved that our marketing strategies worked.

業績持續性的成長證明我們的行銷策略成功