How to Shop Green

Customers seeking sustainable merch are a big deal these days. But which products actually deliver on their environmental promises?

- By Kerri Anne Renzulli. Photographs by Getty Images and Visual Generation

ENVIRONMENT

CONGRESS MAY STILL BE DEBATing how to deal with climate change, but retailers and manufacturers aren't waiting. Taking cues from customers, these businesses are embracing, big-time, eco-friendly standards and products.

True, sustainable products make up less than one-fifth of all items on the market these days. But, they're driving one-third of all growth seen among consumer goods, ranging from skincare to milk, according to New York University's Stern Center for Sustainable Business. In fact, one of every two new consumer products brands might be considered green, or partly green.

It's not a big mystery why: Eight in ten Americans say sustainability is important to them, and almost 60 percent are willing to change their buying habits to help the planet, says the National Retail Federation.

Consumers have turned into conscious shoppers. There is a rising recognition that climate change is real and I think for many people it is one of the top concerns, says Randi Kronthal-Sacco, senior scholar of marketing and corporate outreach at the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business. There are a lot of consumers and shareholders putting pressure on companies.

While no new item you purchase will actively help the environment, buying decisions can help lessen the destructive toll. Newsweek asked sustainability experts to weigh in on how to shop, where to shop and what to look out for. Here's a green cheat sheet:

Start With a Curated List