If consumers are to be able to consider all aspects of a product's life-cycle and the policies of the company that markets it, an environmental audit should be done. Without such an assessment, it is easy for people to fall for what Juliet Kellner calls the 'bit-less-bad' trap. Examples of this are choosing aerosols that do not contain CFCs but do contain gases that add to the greenhouse effect.

Another example Kellner uses is that of unleaded fuel. People might feel righteous using unleaded fuel. But overuse of private motor vehicles, even using unleaded fuel, is still harmful to the environment. Advertisers targeting 'would-be green' motorists do not suggest that people do not buy cars or drive less. Similarly, businesses such as The Body Shop have been heralded around the world for their green products. Yet some environmentalists question the need for cosmetics at all, and point out that producing products in an environmentally sound way might be encouraging consumerism.

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