Eco-friendly, sustainable, green, recycled, ethical – these terms are commonly thrown around by brands without much implication or accountability as to what they actually mean. Recently, I ordered a salad from a take-out bar. As I sat down to eat, I looked at the box it came in. It was called an “eco-box”, and it was brown, which upon first impression had made me feel ok with it. It was eco! All good. But upon closer inspection, the fine print on the bottom read “made from 20% post-consumer cardboard”. Only 20%?! Plus, that box couldn’t be recycled due to the plastic lining that almost all cardboard food containers utilize to protect against leaks, etc. This box wasn’t so “eco” after all…
As consumers, we’re shouldered with the burden of choosing…