Home Depot's Eco Options Label Creates Circus like Scene with Product Suppliers

After being in place for over two months the Home Depot's Eco Options label program is highly successful among both consumers and product suppliers.  The success of the program has created a new problem for the nation's second largest retailer.  They are inundated with environmental claims from their products suppliers all trying to have their product carry the Eco Options label.

Home Depot's Eco Options label was rolled out in the middle of April in the U.S.  The label was modeled after a successful similar program in Home Depot stores in Canada.  It is designed to help consumers identify products that are more environmentally friendly

The New York Times reported earlier in the week, Home Depot is now trying to develop a way to deal with all the environmental claims its supplier's are making about their products.

When they rolled out the program Home Depot sent a message to the suppliers of the 176,000 products they sell asking them to make a pitch to have their products included in Eco Options.  More than 60,000 products were submitted so far to only 2,500 of the products carry the Eco Options label.  Home Depot ultimately plans on having 6,000  products under the label.

Plastic-handled paint brushes were touted as nature-friendly because they were not made of wood. Wood-handled paint brushes were promoted as better for the planet because they were not made of plastic.

An electric chainsaw? Green, because it was not gas-powered. A bug zapper? Ditto, because it was not a poisonous spray. Manufacturers of paint thinners, electrical screwdrivers and interior overhead lights claimed similar bragging rights simply because their plastic or cardboard packaging was recyclable.

Since Eco Options rolled out it has underscored a problem in that there isn't any uniform standard for assessing the environmental claims of many products out on the market.   

The reaction to Eco Options runs the gamut.  Some call it progress, others say the nation's second largest retailer  is being too inclusive with the products it applies the label to.

One thing is clear product suppliers are unanimous in their feelings towards Eco Options - they all want to be included as sales of Eco Option labeled products are averaging 10% higher than those not carrying the label.

Home Depot appears to be taking the responsibility of labeling products as "Eco Options" seriously and told the New York Times being included in the label is actually an incentive for suppliers to make their products greener. 

Comments

[I Love Power Equipment]

If by Home Depot labeling certain power, equipment, and construction tools as Eco Options encourages companies to produce more products with the environment in mind, then I'm all for it. It definitely helps increase profits for those Eco Options companies due to the marketing power the label Eco Options carries, so why not?