What Is Greenwashing?
Learn about the deceitful marketing tactic plaguing the sustainability movement.
People around the world are becoming more aware of the importance of making environmentally-friendly fashion choices. With global warming and a significant environmental crisis, many businesses are choosing sustainable production and marketing methods.
While incorporating eco-friendly methods is the need of the hour, many businesses are putting up a facade of sustainability. Yet, at the same time, they continue to engage in production activities that are detrimental to our environment.
Introduction to Greenwashing
Greenwashing is when a company claims to be environmentally conscious but continues to produce more greenhouse gases and waste material, neglecting the measures they must take for sustainability.
With deceitful marketing and advertising, many organizations have exploited the term "eco-friendly business" Some companies greenwash even with good intentions.
Still, due to this, many customers refuse to believe company claims about sustainability practices.
Suppose you're interested in environmentally friendly practices. In that case, you may want to learn why greenwashing is a major problem taking up space in fighting against climate change, air pollution, ocean pollution, and species extinctions.
Why Do Businesses Engage in Greenwashing?
With increased awareness of the global environmental crisis, customers have become more eco-conscious. When companies portray themselves as ethical, it drives more profit. According to a report by McKinsey, Generation Z is more likely to spend their money on brands that seem ethical.
Greenwashing helps businesses portray themselves as eco-conscious. As a result, customers have gravitated towards their products.
Committing to sustainable production methods pays off well for brands because 66% of the consumers are more likely to spend on a product if it comes from sustainable brands.
Besides the business's financial incentive of being more eco-conscious, there's another reason for them to engage in greenwashing.
Many businesses do not possess expertise in knowing what counts as being environmentally friendly. For example, a company wishes to be eco-conscious and decides to produce biodegradable plastic.
But instead, it produces plastic that does not degrade completely but breaks down to form smaller pieces that equally harm the environment.
Most businesses and brands need to take active measures to be environmentally friendly. They must research well into what methods count as sustainable and actively choose to use sustainable operations at every production stage to avoid unintentional greenwashing.
Examples of Greenwashing
The increased consumer demand for suitability is, without doubt, the frontier of transition to a greener and more smart global economy. But unfortunately, we have many examples of businesses and organizations that have engaged in greenwashing.
One classic example is the German car giant Volkswagen which admitted to engaging in greenwashing. It cheated the emissions tests by using a defective device in many vehicles.
This highly sophisticated software would detect when the vehicle would undergo an emissions test and alter the performance to reduce toxic emissions. At the time, Volkswagen vehicles were emitting about 40 times the allowed limit of nitrogen oxide pollutants.
Another example of greenwashing is when Nestle's giant company claimed to have ambitions for the packaging to be 100% reusable/recyclable by 2021. Several environmental groups noted that Nestle did not take active measures to accomplish this goal.
In 2018, Greenpeace released a statement regarding Nestle's statement and said that Nestle's statement about plastic packaging includes greenwashing baby steps to tackle the plastic pollution crisis it created.
Two years later, Nestle, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola were amongst the world's top plastic polluters.
Why Is Greenwashing Harmful?
We need to create less plastic and opt for biodegradable options. In the last 16 years, we have produced half of the world's disposable plastic.
About 91% of this plastic is not recycled. Therefore consumers need to make environmentally friendly choices and avoid buying products from companies engaging in greenwashing.
When a brand claims to produce reusable/recyclable material but engages in greenwashing, the consumers unintentionally purchase products that are causing harm to our environment.
Buying products that will end up in a landfill increases our carbon footprint. Therefore, consumers must spot greenwashing and make active eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
How to Avoid Greenwashing?
Many businesses claim to be environmentally friendly and tell their stories about eco-conscious production methods.
Some of these stories are true, but most of them are incidents of greenwash. Unfortunately, these purposeful lies about products and their impact on the environment are widespread.
However, you can look for fluffy language and commonly used words to avoid greenwashing. As producers and consumers, you must be aware of the following to avoid greenwashing.
You must avoid using terms that do not provide a clear meaning as a brand. For example, refrain from using “eco-friendly” or “natural” if your production methods aren't 100% eco-friendly.
Watch out for green products that come from dirty companies. For example, don't invest in a light bulb that is efficient but comes from a factory polluting rivers.
As a marketing member, you must avoid evocative pictures. For example, never use unjustified green impressions in your branding images.
As a consumer, always look out for credible designations and avoid purchasing products that are dangerous to the environment but are sold under the green label. An example includes "eco-friendly" cigarettes.
As a brand, always make clear claims by including the details of specific unit measurements. Use terms such as "60% organic cotton" instead of labeling your product as "made from organic cotton."
Provide data for your sustainability claims. Ensure that you use data you can verify.
Also include credible third-party certifications from reliable sources such as Rainforest Alliance or Energy Star.
Incorporate sustainable practices in your manufacturing steps, waste disposal & distribution operations.
When you discuss your company's plans, be very specific about your timeline and target, so consumers do not hold you accountable.
Final Thoughts
The sustainability landscape is not the same as it was in the 80s. In today's time, consumers conduct meaningful research before investing in brands.
Consumers have immense power to create an active sustainable landscape for businesses in the present time. Now brands cannot get away with greenwashing as the acceleration of the climate crisis is creating more awareness amongst the consumers.
Most people are taking active measures to reduce their carbon footprint because they realize that every item they purchase impacts the environment. As a result, they continue to invest in brands that make eco-friendly choices. Under such conditions, it is only appropriate and wise to switch to eco-friendly practices.