Site Separates the Good From the Bad

An Internet start-up called Scryve is helping conscientious consumers distinguish greenwashing from true corporate commitments to environmental and social responsibility. Using data from consumer groups, researchers and an investment analytics firm called KLD, Scryve gives companies an overall grade (based on a scale of one to 10) on its green credentials.

In addition, users can recommend alternatives, engage in conversations with other users and track a given company's progress as they (ideally) clean up their act.

An article posted by ReadWriteWeb uses grocery retailer Trader Joe's as an example. The grocer ranks well (seven), especially compared to its peers, and a brief synopsis of its policies with regard to environmental and social responsibility mentions that the company has made an effort to sell more organic food and ethically produced animal products.

Users also can download a browser tool, which displays the ranking of a given company in the corner of the screen whenever the website of a company tracked by Scryve is accessed. Users can click on the icon to get more detailed information about the company.

Scryve CEO Alexander Gillett, quoted by ReadWriteWeb, has high hopes for the site as a force for positive change:

"With enough people using the information to make their decisions, companies pay more attention to the responsibility of their actions. Over time, it will be a given that the positive and negative actions associated with a company will impact its bottom line, and companies will have to plan accordingly."

We wish him all the success in the world, which begs the age-old dot-com question: How will they make money?