Labels are always right…right? In a world where the word “green” has become a part of every product, company, and service, it’s hard to believe we are still in an environmental crisis. The reasons being that “green” doesn’t exactly mean what we think it does. It has become such a wide-spread, trendy word that is seen so predominantly everywhere we go. Our mass consumerism and necessity for legitimacy in the things we buy has led us to become victims of eco-propaganda.
How many times have we gone shopping and bought something “eco-friendly” in hopes that our moral compass will be fulfilled with sunshine, rainbows and the satisfaction of knowing that you did something environmentally responsible? I’m guilty of it… we all are to an extent. Truth be told, a lot of the time we are unknowingly being greenwashed. What is greenwashing you ask? Let’s see…
According to the Greenwashing Index:
Greenwashing is when a company or organization spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact.
For example: airlines that advertise their new low-emission airplanes. I said airplanes right?
It’s incredibly important as consumers to be aware of greenwashing because the more we indulge in the issue, the more companies find it acceptable. We are being taken advantage of in thinking that we are making responsible choices when in reality, they are potentially no better. Or at least not nearly as good as we think they are. Ever heard of the saying “that’s too good to be true”? Well, case and point.
So how can we differentiate between false advertising and the truth? Here’s a few things to look for:
- Filler text: words and statements without any clear meaning, like “Eco-friendly”. This happens to be one of the major problems in advertising and marketing. Companies who use filler words like low impact, or recycled content tend to mislead consumers into thinking the entire product is accounted for under these claims. Worse yet, these claims are left so open-ended that many people interpret them as they see fit. So a product that is made of “recycled content” could potentially only refer to the cardboard packaging while the rest of the product is composed to virgin materials. Words like low impact literally can mean 1001 different things…
- Suggestive images: pretty flowers and green leaves don’t really mean anything. This drives me crazy. As consumers we tend to be very visual and we associate colours and images with certain things. For example, the colours yellow and red are typically seen in the food industry because those two colours together both make people happy and hungry. The colour green on the other hand is so often associated with nature and the environment that companies have begun using them as a suggestive means of being green, even when they’re not. Images of leaves and flowers only make matters worse because that is a literal translation for the environment, in which case many consumers bypass the research and buy the product.
- Exaggerated claims: over-emphasis on the one “green” element within the product. For example, if a clothing store begins using organic cotton blend within their clothes, they might begin to emphasize this all over their stores. Something like this can easily hide the fact that the company is still underpaying their factory works who work in poor conditions within a third world country. But the clothing has organic cotton…
- Betterment claims: just because you’re better than the competition doesn’t mean you’re green. Being the “least bad” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good. Being the most environmentally friendly SUV, that still guzzles gas and impacts air quality, doesn’t mean you’re suddenly responsible. Look who the competition is; in this case it’s not hard to be top of the food chain.
Once you’re aware and slightly skeptical, it’s easy to spot the bs. It’s actually a bit heartbreaking seeing so many companies fall under this category of greenwashing that you never would’ve thought. But why has this become such a problem in the past decade? Money. Consumers have come to demand that companies become more socially and environmentally responsible, as we should be doing. The response to these demands have shown to be incredibly overwhelming, as all companies now seem to have green products and services. Without these green claims, many consumers wouldn’t even think twice. It also gives companies an excuse to rack up prices in hopes that the green claims would be sufficient enough reason to charge double.
This can be a potentially dangerous problem. Greenwashing decreases the credibility of the whole sustainability business case and devalues those companies that are actually practicing sustainability. It’s counter-intuitive if you think about it, sooner or later many of these greenwashing companies will make consumers so skeptical that people will less likely than ever to buy something off green claims because of their fear for marketing tactics. As we are more and more exposed to greenwashing, it’s inevitable that our society will begin to fall off the greenmobile. These companies are beginning to diminish the market that they’re trying to exploit.
So what can we do about it?
Stop buying from companies we know to be greenwashing. The less we buy, the less they make right? It’s not always easy spotting it but I have equipped you with the knowledge to catch these villains of greenwashing. Remember:
- Look for filler text that doesn’t address anything specific
- Look for pretty flowers and green colouring
- Look for OVER emphasis on something green (they’re obviously trying to hide something)
- Look for betterment claims… just because you’re the least bad doesn’t mean you’re good!
Here’s an advertisement I got from the Greenwash Guide that I found to be pretty good:
Lastly, something I didn’t mention earlier, please look for third party verifications. Certifications such as Fairtrade or Oceanwise are credible and can only be marked on certified products. Food companies that claim their fish is sustainably farmed but fail to have Oceanwise on their packaging are most likely greenwashing you.
Help end this illegitimacy and keep real sustainable companies in business. We are the consumers and we should be demanding the best for ourselves and for our planet.
References:
Click to access Greenwash_Guide.pdf
Living Sustainably 