You bought the bamboo floor, the hempsilk blouse, and the hybrid car. Maybe, just maybe, because you liked the way they looked or they were on sale or some other reason that had little or nothing to do with the environment.
Even if you made a conscious decision to pick the more responsible option, you still have to care for these new innovations. Chances are, if they come with care instructions, they're not unlike what your used to seeing on destructive products. "Wash cold, do not bleach, dry low." Yeah, we get it.
For many of the same reasons you bought them in the first place, or maybe just because you don't know any better, you'll use the same old floor wax, laundry detergent and tire cleaner you always have. Doh!
It's not like it used to be. Now there are products that aren't like the others. Some play well with others. Others need to hang out with their own kind. Just what we need, more confusion.
This could be an opportunity for manufacturers to provide explicit care instructions that reflect their core values.
Don't just inform us to machine wash. Inform us to machine wash responsibly. After all, alcohol brands tell us to "Enjoy Responsibly." Why can't constructive brands do the same?
Cleaning brands could be informing us about what kinds of quality materials they go well with. Floor and counter top brands could come with a list of recommended cleaning products. And so forth.
Perhaps brands could even team up. We've seen cookbooks that list brand names instead of generic ingredients. Why couldn't Seventh Generation form a strategic alliance with Loomstate? Or Prius with No Rise Wash & Shine?
What else?
  
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