You can't watch TV, open a newspaper, or buy a product without being swamped by green hype --- products, companies, and services that have jumped on the green bandwagon, and falsely claim they're environmentally friendly. How about Green IT: Is it subject to the same kind of false hype and greenwashing as the rest of the economy?

The answer, so far at least, is largely no. There's a simple reason for that: Green IT is also good for a company's bottom line, and the claims of Green IT vendors can be easily checked. That means that a Green IT vendor won't last very long if it makes false claims.

If a company selling laundry detergent, for example, makes a false claim about the "green-ness" if its detergent, there's no simple way for a consumer to check the claim. And if the claim is false, a consumer won't suffer any real damage.

With Green IT vendors, though, claims can be much more easily checked. Typically, you'll be able to run a "bake-off" comparing products before buying, or you'll launch a pilot project. So you can't be easily fooled.

In addition, because Green IT products and services typically deliver a solid return on investment as well as doing good for the environment, there's no need for hype. The best Green IT products, in essence, sell themselves.

Over at Fast Company, Anthony and Toby Velte have written an interesting post related to this. They point to an article in The McKinsey Quarterly, which says that 87% of people surveyed said that they "worry about the environment and social impact of the products they buy," but that green products such as hybrid cars or green laundry detergents make up less than 2% of the market.

The Veltes say that because Green IT products have a direct impact on the bottom line, there isn't the same disconnect betweeen what people say they are concerned about, and what they actually do. Because Green IT delivers solid ROI, it's become mainstream and widely accepted.