Supply management professionals looking to enhance or protect their organizations' reputations are increasingly sourcing more environmentally and socially responsible goods and services. Incorporating such considerations into the procurement process demonstrates that a supply management department cares about important social concerns while continuing to provide its parent organization with the products and services it needs, when it needs them, and at an affordable price.
Unfortunately, as a result of the growing demand for "greener" offerings, more and more suppliers are making unsubstantiated environmental claims. The growing volume of green claims makes things challenging. While some of the claims are clearly suspect (for example, "essentially nontoxic"), others can be more challenging to assess.
Source: Inside Supply Management, http://www.ism.ws