In terms of product design, more manufacturers are considering the entire lifecycle of the products they make as market demand has caused a surge in sustainable products. The marketplace offers an array of sustainable products only imagined a few years ago, from a biodegradable water bottle to a sophisticated ergonomic office chair that’s 98% recyclable. Even high tech is going green: Nokia has developed a prototype cell phone made entirely out of recycled aluminum cans, old tires and plastic soda bottles.

Consumers have changed, too. Not content with just sustainable products, they’re reconsidering their buying habits, a process called principled, or ethical, consumerism. As a result, products and their providers must mesh with the consumers’ own personal and social values. When those stars align, consumers will pay a 20% premium for clean, green products over non-sustainable alternatives according to the “Good and Green Marketing Conference” in Chicago in December.

Sustainability may be the new black, but is it more than a trend? There’s still too much green washing—unsubstantiated or dubious environmental claims. There’s also sustainability’s band wagon effect: companies pursuing green credentials such as LEED certification because it’s the hot thing to do. Some clients “want the plaque on the wall, but as far as understanding what it truly means to be a sustainable facility, they’re just not there yet,” says architect Lorissa MacAllister, Progressive AE, Grand Rapids, MI.