Recently, New York state became the first in the nation to begin enforcing a 30-year-old law requiring manufacturers of household cleaners to reveal specific chemical ingredients in their products. The idea is a mandate for marketers to identify any health risks their products pose with the intent of eventually eliminating the toxic chemicals that have become pervasive in consumer products throughout the U.S.

In fact, some say New York's actions may kick off a global trend, in which consumer and environmental advocacy groups successfully force product manufacturers to be more transparent regarding their use of toxic chemicals. These regulatory changes could subsequently transform purchasing behavior by encouraging more educated consumers. However, there's a catch -- green can be a double-edged sword. Some claims of green are barely plausible and are unregulated and misinterpreted by most consumers to the point where some products don't really work. 

Let's take a look at the new wave of so-called green household cleaning, and the move toward less toxic products. This represents a very significant and growing market, and one that's still in its infancy. Retail sales of green cleaners exceeded $500 million last year, but many estimate the total disinfectant market at nearly $20 billion. As demand for green products continues to accelerate and these figures start to skew the other way, consumers will be relying on a totally different type of product to clean their homes and keep them safe. 

Most consumers don't realize that the majority of mainstream household and consumer products with a green label do nothing more than dilute the toxic chemicals that have been in products for years, and some just add a botanical fragrance like lavender, bergamot or citrus. Although this may result in slightly less toxic and slightly more environmentally friendly formulations, efficacy is often compromised. The germs live on! 

Ironically, just as consumers are asking for less toxic product formulations, the threat of germs and other dangerous pathogens continues to intensify. Case in point, the recent emergence of NDM-1 was quick to remind us of the unique danger of resistant forms of bacteria, and the persistent threat of MRSA, and so many other pathogens that continue to affect public safety. Although banning toxic chemical ingredients is a step in the right direction, consumers will be just as misled on the efficacy of green products unless they are also held to higher standard of transparency.