Getting information to consumers about the products they buy

WorldChanging ran a great post on the GreenScanner, a public database of consumer opinions about the environmental accountability of over 600,000 products.

Basically the Green Scanner is a website that allows a user to enter the UPC from the bar code label on a product and get information about the product. Green scanner focuses on environmental issues around the product, however, there was a great discussion in the comments section of the post about other projects brewing to provide consumers with other information about the products they buy. One of them is GrassCommons. Another similar concept is the Reveal Label, and yet another is the Lowdown on Logos concept from Jim Hightower’s organization.

I believe that all of these systems can really work together to provide consumers with a solid picture of the products they are purchasing so each can make informed decisions based upon the issues important to them. It will require the use of standards, like a SRI Data Format that groups across the map can use and share and exchange data through.