Is being green the new black?

It seems now that being green is becoming mainstream. In my local cornershop the other day I found PG tips tea bags sold in association with the rain forest alliance meaning that at least 50% of the tea bags were the equivalent of fair trade. I also found Andrex toilet roll in association with WWF. Pedigree dog food is supporting dog adoptions too. I’d like to think that this means that consumers are demanding more ethically conscience brands, but the cynical part of me wonders if the big brands are just jumping on the bandwagon. Maybe they are afraid that they will lose out as more and more people are switching to organic, fair-trade and free range so are taking steps to be more competitive. I suppose, either way it doesn’t really matter. As long as some charities and local people benefit then whether it is a real change or just a marketing idea then it’s worthwhile. But I really do hope that this isn’t just a passing phase but that its means that ethical products are actually here to stay.