Responsible, Green Companies?

A staff member at IIDA passed along this interesting blog post from The District about Alstyle organic t-shirts and other apparel items.  I think the author, Brett, makes a good point.  He says:

“… Neither of the two sales reps I spoke with for this article had any idea about whether or not environmentally friendly dyes were utilized. To me this is indicative of a greater problem of the major manufacturers entering into the organics market without a fundamental understanding of the concept. While I applaud the increased use of organic cotton, I think that it may be rather disingenuous for a manufacturer to present a product as ‘environmentally friendly’ to consumers without the knowledge to know what that really means. This is additionally problematic for consumers trying to make informed purchasing decisions by being able to differentiate between the green-washed and the ‘real-deal’.”

How environmentally sound are the so-called green products we see on store shelves? Unfortunately, I know that Alstyle is not the only manufacturer out there that is touting green products without the research or knowledge to back up their claims.  Are there other, not-so-green products you have encountered? For another interesting blog read, check out Cara Hall’s blog entry here.