These days, the public seems more interested than ever before in becoming more ecologically conscious of our impact on the environment. People have also become much more aware of what kind of foods they eat and whether or not these foods are safe. When I have seen people buying foods or products because the label says it is safe and environmentally friendly, I have wondered how much BS is really in those labels. I also have wondered how I could actually find out whether or not these labels were really telling the truth. Recently, I was watching Bill Moyers Journal www.pbs.org and the subject matter was about the foods we eat and the products we use for personal care, cleaning, laundry, etc… and their impact on the environment. I found out that there is a website where a person can find out about many of these foods and products and the impact they leave from start to finish.
Start to finish is a complicated process these days. To start, a product has to be developed, then produced, packaged, and transported to a store to be sold to consumers. Then the product is used and afterward the packaging is disposed of. This is a process with many steps, and most consumers don’t have the first idea of where to look for this kind of information.
The website, www.goodguide.com is fantastic, because it has compiled a tremendous amount of research into many of the foods and products we use everyday. This website has given each product a rank based on the health, social and environmental performance of the product and the company which makes the product. The site has a list of the advisors responsible for compiling the ratings along with explanations as to the basis of the ratings. A list of current issues is given with a tremendous amount of information for consumers to dive into to learn more about what the impact on our lives and our environment. While this site may not have every last bit of information needed, it is a great start to help people become more aware.
For me personally, I have been concerned about this issue for quite a while now. I have made changes to the types of products that I buy based on company’s that do not test on animals, and now I plan on making more changes since I have this website to help guide me in making better food and product choices. The process of evaluating every food and product that I want to buy does seem like a daunting task, but I know I will be happier in the end to have made these changes and to have more knowledge about the impact of what I buy. My hope is that everyone reading this will at least consider making a few changes for the sake of our environment as well as for the sake of your own health. We consumers have no one to rely on but ourselves these days about what is good for us and the environment. Now there is a little bit of help to get us going in the right direction.
