Greenwashing
BY DIPANSHU CHAKRAVARTI
When you see a product advertised as natural, organic or non toxic you instantly start to feel good and think about buying it, right? Companies know from research, that majority of people want to support eco friendly products and brands. However, when marketing teams prey on this sustainability for profit, it is called greenwashing.
What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing is a marketing strategy that falsely represents the sustainable efforts of a company or product. The goal of greenwashing is to create a false illusion that a company is doing what is best for the people and the planet. However, most don't follow through with their claims. According to a report by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, nearly 95% of all products with a green label, are actually greenwashed.
Greenwashing can occur in various ways, here are a few red flags to watch out for!
Environmental Imagery
Companies try to simplify their packaging and try to feature natural looking materials and textures leaf-like motifs and green toned elements. This attracts the shopper's eyes and gives an impression that the product is automatically eco concious.
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Vague Catchphrases
Companies often pair environmental imagery with phrases like "100% natural" and "non-toxic" and other similar vague phrases. Consumers need to be aware that such phrases are not regulated by any authority and organization.
Bait and switch
Companies will often have one product or one product line which is genuinely ecofriendly and sustainable but the rest of their business will not be the same. Infact, companies will use low cost manufacturers with illegal labor wages and allow poor working conditions.
Why does greenwashing matter?
Greenwashing creates an illusion of sustainability and is extremely counterproductive to the sustainability movement.
Even though greenwashing makes sustainability more visibly mainstream, it is damaging for the true environmentally-friendly companies and products.
Greenwashing allows customers to believe they are making ethical and sustainable decisions while actually contributing to the harm they wanted to avoid.
How to avoid greenwashing?
Be skeptical: Read labels with a grain of salt and be skeptical
about fancy marketing and product design.
Know certifications: It is a good idea to get familiar with national and international certifications. Some commonly recognized logos are: Certified B Corp, the Leaping Bunny Program logo, Green Seal, and Rainforest Alliance.
Avoid generalizations: Terms like "chemical free", "organic" and "natural ingredients" are very broad terms, avoid such terms and look for "certified fair trade" and "USDA organic"
Look for facts
Visit the company website
Greenwashing is everywhere, so don’t worry if you accidentally fell victim to false claims at one point. Just by knowing greenwashing exists is half the battle. By reading this article, you are now already more informed and less likely to be manipulated by “green” advertising in the future.
