Mission and History

GreenerChoices.org, launched on Earth Day 2005 by Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, is a Web-based initiative to inform, engage, and empower consumers about environmentally-friendly products and practices. GreenerChoices.org offers an accessible, reliable, and practical source of information on buying “greener” products that have minimal environmental impact and meet personal needs.

We created GreenerChoices.org to address the lack of credible, in-depth information on green products, services, and lifestyles, especially on the Web. Environmentally conscious consumers are faced with a huge amount of “green washing” by companies that want to capitalize on and exploit the growing interest in environmentally-friendly products, health, pollution and toxics.

In contrast, Consumers Union’s Web sites and other media provide non-commercial, independently researched, unbiased information to consumers. With more than 70 years of experience, we understand how to find and present the most in-depth, comprehensive consumer advice by taking into consideration cost, reliability, performance and quality of products and services, as well as environmental attributes.

Vision and Promise

For millions of environmentally conscious “green consumers” whose numbers are rapidly growing, we provide practical, unbiased advice they can trust. For tens of millions more who would like to buy green, but may not have access to the information they need, we offer a unique online resource and are actively reaching out to these consumers. Our goals are ambitious. We aim to:

•Expand Consumers Union’s role as a major resource on environmental issues for a diverse audience.

•Engage a critical mass of consumers to recognize the environmental and health impacts of their choices and empower them to make sustainable buying and living choices.

•Create a transformed marketplace that offers appropriate, sustainable solutions to environmental problems.