What about the "green-washing" of technology products?

D-Link has had their “Green Ethernet” campaign for a while. Basically just saving power according to cable length.

Linksys has announced how they’ve got new environmentally-friendly packaging using vegetable inks and recycled paper.

It makes me wonder how much people pay attention to this stuff?

Do you buy products according to a company’s environmental policy? Do you think it affects people’s judgment when making a purchase?

What percentage of people, in your opinion, see such tactics as corporate posturing?

I’m all about saving the whales, trees, and chipmunks. But I also drive a 2-stroke scooter so I don’t try and pretend that I’m dedicating my life to protecting the environment.

My company wants me to create our environmental policy, but it’s hard for me to find the ethical middle ground on this. We don’t have any of the aforementioned benefits to make a true environmentally-friendly message, but we have to put something down.

What do you think?

FWIW I’m no tie-dye wearing eco warrior, far from it, but I will choose not to buy products from places like Costco simply because they’re gratuitously wrapped in impenetrable, heat sealed, bubble wrap plastic… you buy one little LED flash light or a small battery charger or whatever and it’s got almost 2 square feet of thick plastic insta-garbage… I know, it’s easier for displays, harder to shoplift, same packaging as the US market, etc. etc/ these are all justifications I can understand, but personally if there are 2 comparable products I will always choose the one with less plastic packaging…

Righto. It’s crazy how much packaging they use.

This is why I admire any company that changes their packaging.

Another thing for tech products could be how easy they are to recycle/dismantle. There’s a lot of gold in those PCBs and the plastic casings have become a commodity as well.