By
Adam Zoltowski
In a few weeks, CATALYST will publish a new issue on Designing Desire. It’s a pleasant coincidence that this is coinciding with Christmas, the time of the year when consumer spending peaks and self-indulgence seems to be at a yearly high. Christmas shopping can be exhausting, and we probably don’t want to think too much as consumers about what goes into the products we are buying for our loved ones. Who really has time to dive in the value chain practices of the ipad? Luckily, Climate Counts has done the work for us and created a sustainable gift guide for the holiday season.
The guide classifies and color-codes over 3,000 brands and 150 companies in three categories of sustainability practices: stuck (red), starting (yellow) and striding (green). It also breaks down the brands and companies into industries. Toys, electronics, and furniture have the most representation in the beautifully designed guide. The guide is based on 22 criteria, from production, transportation to stores, and life cycle analysis. It looks at the entire strategic design of the product and assigns a rating.
Black Friday experienced a surge of business two weeks ago. It’s a good sign for the economic wellbeing of the country, and as an indicator of consumer confidence. Hopefully with guides like this we can continue that confidence, but in a way that keeps in mind the triple bottom line effects of our spending.
