Guided Response:

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Agree or disagree with your classmate’s position concerning having a policy against “greenwashing.” Defend your position by using information from the week’s readings or the readings related to governmental regulation..

 

1. Almost all products that we use today claim to be environmentally friendly, but if tested I am sure we would find that most of them are not to environmentally friendly of safe. You can always find a product that claims to be biodegradable and good for the earth, but when put to the test it has more chemicals than the law would allow, but the company will find a way to get around the red tape and are able to advertise about its safety without repercussion.

 
Businesses want to stay on the cutting edge, be innovative and always on top. They want to be the first to introduce a product and they also want to be the first one to say that their company has complied with the clean air initiatives for the approval of federal government in order to qualify for funds or incentives that are offered by the government. I feel that companies should be able to stand behind their products and their claims and be up front and honest. In the article the Six Sins of Greenwashing, written by TerraChoice Environmental marketing Inc., one of the six sins of Greenwashing it the sin of fibbing, and that is making environmental claims that are false. So many companies tend to do that, and not just the environmental claims. There are produces like shampoos, facial cream treatments, the hair club products, that that claim to make your hair softer, your face smoother and your hair longer and most of those products have minimal results if any.
 
I think that consumers want companies to be upfront and honest with them and if they like the product they like it. If a customer feels as if they were taken advantage of by a manufacturer or a company they will tell many people and word of mouth of bad publicity is the worst publicity a company can get. One compliant is worth thousands, and with social media on the on the rise, those numbers can be much higher. Although there are standards set for products that are advertised by the government, companies should be made to prove that the claim that they are making are true. We the consumer get taken advantage of so many times by companies and before we the consumer know it, it is millions of dollars later before it is noticed or the problem have been rectified.

 Reference:
 TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc. (2007). The Six Sins of Greenwashing. Retrieved on September 9, 2014 from http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/index6b90.pdf

 

2. I personally try to use products that are ECO friendly. I am guilty of reading labels in stores before I buy products. Just because the labels on the products say that they are safe that does not mean that it is true but I feel that it is important to keep a clean and healthy environment. Consumers may be misled into purchases that do not deliver on their environmental promise. When this happens the individual consumer has been misled and the potential environmental benefit of his or her purchase has been squandered (Terra Choice Environmental Marketing Inc., 2007). There are products that claim to be environmentally friendly but how do we know unless the products are tested. There are several products that claim to be biodegradable but when they are tested the chemicals in the products are higher than the law allows.

“Greenwashing” is defined as the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service (Terra Choice, 2007). Companies are driven by the competitive market and they want to be leaders. Companies need to use strategies and use different methods that attract consumers to purchase their products. I think there should be a policy against “greenwashing” if a company has a good legit product. A company is driven by its vision. Companies that are honest and ethical that have good products will stay in business longer. 

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc. (2007). The Six Sins of Greenwashing. Retrieved on September 9, 2014 from http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/index6b90.pdf

 

3.The Clean Water Act is a regulation that is governed by the Environmental Protection Agency that has always interested me. This is one that affects all of us, we all us water, to drink, to clean, to swim in and many other ways. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Water Act (CWA) which was established in 1948 establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating standards for surface waters. It was called the Water Pollution Control Act until it was reorganized in 1972. 


The Clean Water Act was put in place to protect the water that we all use and depend on for everyday living. There was an incident recently in Tennessee that involved a company dumping waste water into the river and causing the local water to be contaminated, this caused major problems for everyone. They had been doing it for a while until someone exposed them and reported it. The water was connected to a small town that depended on it for their resources. The government officials had to quarantine the area and figure out what they could do to correct the issue. Although the company was fined and will still face possible criminal charges, the inconvenience of the local people having to have water passed out to them in the community because a company failed to comply with regulations is criminal. The outcome for the local people could be devastating because no one knows how long the water was being contaminated and if it will have a long term effect on the community’s health and wellbeing.
 
In my opinion the regulations and laws are good for all, with the laws in place the company still managed to dump eligibly, so if it was not there who knows what the recourse for the for the violation would be. That was just one company that was caught and I am sure there are others that straddle the fence to comply because they want to save money within their company in any way possible, even at the hefty price of someone’s health or life. To prevent such acts the employer must have stiff penalties for employees who violate those regulations and laws, because this will help protect them from lawsuits and large fines in the long run.

 

4. Tetrachloroehtylene, also known as perchloroethylene (perc), is the predominant chemical solvent used in the dry cleaning industry and is a clear, colorless liquid that evaporates quickly (EPA, 2012). 


The EPA under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act regulates dry cleaning businesses since it is possible for the chemical to contaminate the air, water, and ground if a business does not take the proper precautions when using it.  Perc can escape into the outside air through open windows, vents, and air conditioning systems and remain in the air for several weeks.  This is not a huge concern for the public but the perc breaks down into other potentially toxic chemicals that are suspected of depleting the ozone layer (EPA, 2012).  

The handling of perc is crucial so that it does not have the chance of getting into the ground and then into ground water and this will occur if leaky pipes and tanks go unnoticed because routine maintenance was not a priority of the business.  The other concern for a dry cleaner is the disposal of the hazardous waste from the use of perc.  Perc gets “dirty” and goes through a distillation process to separate the solvent from the detergents, dyes, dirt, and oil so the perc is reusable over a period of time (EPA, 2012).  

The distillation process produces waste, which dry cleaners send to a special facility for recycling or incineration.  In 2006, the EPA finalized a rule under the Clean Air Act that required the operators of dry cleaners to control perc emissions and phase out of  the solvent for dry cleaners that are located in residential buildings (EPA, 2012) has begun with completion by December of 2020.  

            As the manager of a dry cleaning operation, it was good knowing these rules were in place not only to protect the environment but the business as well due to the fines that could have been imposed from a violation.  The owner and I kept up with the newest regulations, when equipment needed repairs or replacements it was done without question, and the disposal of hazardous waste was done with extreme caution.  Environmental regulations help a business stay focused on its duties to help protect our air, water, and soil, without them, the fear is that we would live in a wasteland where the water was unsafe to drink; the soil would not be able to grow crops, and the air would not be breathable.  Regulations are good for business.  
 
Existing Chemicals. (2012, July 17). Fact Sheet on Perchloroethylene, also known as Tetrachloroethylene. Retrieved from http:// www.epa.gov

 

 

 

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