The ‘Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval’ has been around so long it’s almost a cliché. Yet it does stand for quality, and a 100-year tradition of consumer trust. So it says something about the mainstream acceptance of the green movement when this classic institution decides to offer a ‘green’ seal of approval.
That’s just what’s happening in the April edition of Good Housekeeping magazine, which found its readers were increasingly interested in buying eco-friendly products, but felt lost in a confusing green marketplace.
“Marketers were slapping a lot of words on products, sometimes legitimately no doubt, [but] sometimes not so legitimately,” said editor-in-chief Rosemary Ellis, “It just became clear consumers were confused and frustrated.”
The magazine, with a circulation of 25 million, has enlisted the consultancy firm Brown & Wilmanns Environmental to develop its green criteria. These include looking at a product’s composition, manufacturing and packaging. Separate criteria will be developed for different categories of products, including appliances, electronics and health and beauty aids.
Searching for more information on the goodhousekeeping.com web site, I was disappointed not to find any more information on the seal, or references to a timeline for product approvals. So I can’t say when or if any Good Housekeeping Green Seal Approved products will be hitting London Drugs shelves any time soon. But I’ll keep you posted.
April 16th, 2009
