As we all learn more about the climate crisis and other threats to our environment, people are becoming increasingly interested in the ways in which they can do their part to help change the trend. It is clear that our consumption has had an enormous detrimental effect on the environment. Greener One therefore believes that an important part of helping the environment comes from taking a closer look at the items we consume – whether they are paper towels, household appliances, or automobiles – and choosing products and services that are greener and therefore better for the planet.

We also believe that people make better choices when they have information to help them, especially if the information is easy to understand and easy to find. Determining the greenness of a product can be a complex task; to form an accurate picture, the following kinds of questions must be answered:

• The materials within the product: Are they harmful to the environment? Where were they sourced, and at what environmental cost? Are they renewable resources? Are the materials recycled? How much transportation is involved in getting the materials to the manufacturer?
• The manufacturing process: How much energy was consumed in creating the product? What kind and how much waste is created in making the product? Is this waste reused in any way? If not, how is it disposed?
• Product usage: Does using the product release any pollutants into the environment? How much energy is consumed while using the product? What is the average life expectancy of the product?
• Product disposal: Can the product be recycled? Does the manufacturer have a recycling program? Is the product bio-degradable?

Considering all these factors is enough to make anyone’s head spin! That’s why Greener One created a way for people to compare products on an environmental basis and to share product information with one another. A variety of factors for each product are converted into a simple “green index” score that can be easily understood by anyone.