Merriam-Webster describes an icon as a widely known symbol. Icons can be things; Disney’s Mickey Mouse ears and McDonald’s golden arches are American icons. They can also be people; Sarah Jessica Parker is a fashion icon, Michael Jackson, James Dean and even Benjamin Franklin are pop icons of their own respective eras. Now, icons have gone green.
Eco-awareness has reached a tipping point, with more everyday people choosing to reduce waste and pollution for the greater good. It’s no longer just celebrities discussing the ozone or high-end specialty food stores selling green products. This shift, according to trendwatching.com, went something like this: eco-ugly became eco-chic, which then became eco-iconic. Simply put, eco-friendly looks, functions and advertises better than ever and is a staple of our society.
The shift. Remember the first reusable grocery bags? They were plain, not pretty, and their function left a lot to be desired. If you were an early adopter, you didn’t care about the looks; you just knew it was the right thing to do (with the added bonus of stopping the growth of your collection of plastic bags!)
The scales have tipped and larger segments of the population choose reusable bags when they shop. Grocers have stepped up their games, too, offering a stylish line of bags that happily broadcast our greenness while demonstrating our individuality. Function has evolved as well, signifying these once eco-ugly products are now eco-chic; stylish and functional versions of those once used. And iconic reusable bags are wedging out the enemy; three U.S. states are considering a statewide ban on single-use bags and eight are consider legislation that would allow charging a fee for use of plastic or paper bags.
Eco-iconic today. Being green makes a statement, a statement people want to make about what’s important to them. We believe in our eco-friendliness and want people to know about it. More that the humble grocery sack, the Toyota Prius is probably the perfect representation of an eco-iconic item. This hybrid pioneer is now the standard by which all others are judged. Other car manufacturers have ventured down the hybrid road less successfully, so far. In many cases, manufacturers released new, green versions of existing models, resulting in consumer skepticism or confusion. In contrast, the Prius is the original, trusted hybrid innovation of the industry. It’s an eco-icon.
Eco-iconic is about much more than being a green product, it’s about products that literally show they’re green through their appearance, function or the stories they tell. Choosing eco-iconic products tells others we care about the world around us, labels us as eco-friendly and simply put, does good.
Talk to us: In your mind, what are the most successful, eco-iconic products? Which products tell you and the world that they are, by their very nature, green? Which are you most proud to use?
image courtesy of BY CC 2.0