As the green movement has exploded, seemingly overnight, there’s an aspect of the green consumer universe I’ve noticed becoming more and more blatant to consumers these days. Known as “greenwashing,” it occurs when a company is claiming eco, but falling way, way, waaaaaay short, often for blatant marketing purposes. An SUV company plugging cleaner gas, with kids in the commercial? Yeah, right. I’ve been getting an amazing array of press releases lately, plugging products and services that may seem green, but to me, isn’t worth hitting the “write” button. But this one needed a mention.

Last week, Mattel announced a line of accessories for Barbie - plastic, twisty-tie-stuck-to-the-plastic-coated-box, Barbie - called the BCause Collection. This limited edition line “Reuses and Repurposes Excess Barbie™ Fabrics and Trimmings to Create Fashionable and Playful Handbags, Pillows, Diaries, Totes and Other Accessories”. Seriously? Was the release written on see-through paper?

Thankfully, other bloggers picked up on this as well, as did the New York Times, which ran a story about the release via Jennifer Lance’s post on Eco Child’s Play, as well as Mother’s Jones’ Blue Marble Blog. What’s the lesson here? While owning Barbie is not a crime (goodness knows my girls have a basketful of them), falling for corporate America’s ploys to make you (and your kids, this time around) feel better about buying more stuff should be. This, I think, is at the heart of why I started writing teensygreen - while I know certain toys or products will somehow find their way into my home, it’s finding that balance that takes the most work - and is the most rewarding payoff. It’s YOUR choice, not Mattel’s. Want eco-friendly Barbie clothes? Make them! Or, let them go naked. That’ll teach you, Mattel!