First Carbon-Neutral Retail Product on Shelves

TerraPass, Inc., one of the more prominent companies providing consumers with an easy way to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of their air travel by buying carbon offsets, has partnered with a manufacturer and a retailer to bring that option to a retail product. A pressure washer made by Kärcher USA will be sold on the shelves of Sam’s Club through 2007, packaged with 285 pounds (129 kg) of carbon offsets from TerraPass. That amount of offsets is intended to balance two years of greenhouse gas emissions from use of the gasoline-powered pressure washer. The offsets are derived from projects such as renewable energy generation that displace greenhouse gas emissions. More partnerships are in the works, according to TerraPass’ chief environmental officer Tom Arnold, that will also focus on retail products.