Skip to main content.

Archive

Archive pages:

Green Jobs

From eco-ugly to eco-chic to ECO-ICONIC - 9 May 2008

Intro | What could we possibly add to the heaps of eco-documentaries, carbon emission studies, corporate greening initiatives, and Earth Day activities now dedicated to one of the world's biggest tasks at hand: moving from wasteful, polluting economies to sustainable ones? Well, how about a fresh, consumer-oriented look at the opportunities in the next 12-18 months now that ‘eco awareness’ has been embraced not just by treehuggers and celebrities, but by sizable parts of the global middle classes, too? From eco-ugly to eco-chic to ECO-ICONIC

When applying this ever-wider embrace to green products and services, the shift looks somewhat like this: we've gone from ECO-UGLY (ugly, over-priced, low-performance, unsavory yet eco-friendly versions of the ‘real thing’) to ECO-CHIC (eco-friendly stuff that actually looks as nice and cool as the less sustainable originals) to now ECO-ICONIC:

ECO-ICONIC | "Eco-friendly goods and services sporting bold, iconic markers and design, helping their eco-conscious owners show off their eco-credentials to their peers.

At the heart of ECO-ICONIC is a status shift (isn’t there always?): many consumers are eager to flaunt their green behavior and possessions because there are now millions of other consumers who are actually impressed by green lifestyles.”

Click here to see what Trendwatching has to say about those products that through their distinct appearance or stories actually show that they're green, or at least invoke some curiosity from onlookers, and thus help their owners/users attract recognition from their peers.