Three stylized cutaway cubes of a grass field, one has a wind turbine, and the other two have a tree.

Image: Pixabay

Greenwashing has become a common behavior in many industries, both intentional and unintentional. According to Zippia, 72% of companies in North America have admitted to greenwashing. This is a staggering number that will have/has a significant effect on our planet and the goals of sustainability. Greenwashing is often defined as when companies or individuals make misleading or false claims about the sustainability of their products, practices, or policies. Many may do this intentionally to convey a sustainable image, and many can be doing this due to lack of education or misinformation. It is important that business owners and consumers are aware of these behaviors and do better for the sake of the planet and market reputation. This article will highlight the most common forms of greenwashing, ways to identify such behaviors, and the effects of such practices.

The term “greenwashing” was coined by environmentalist Jay Westerveld in 1986 when he claimed that the hotel industry’s intent on promoting the reuse of towels was a cost-saving measure rather than an honest environmental strategy/effort. Some of the most common forms of greenwashing include labels that claim all-natural products or green practices without actual evidence or independent verification that these claims are indeed true. Another parallel of this are vague claims of environmental responsibility, making general claims such as a product or service being carbon neutral or fair trade without similar verifications. Another common form of greenwashing is branding using images associated with positive environmental elements such as nature, renewable energy, or portraying environmental friendliness. Such behaviors can trick consumers or feed into false perceptions of a company’s practices. Superficial environmental initiatives that are just for show fall into this category (e.g., a company with a small recycling initiative but contributes significant landfill waste annually).

There are many things consumers/customers can do to verify such claims and ensure they are supporting a company that is truly committing themselves to sustainability. This checklist can also be used for business owners to ensure that their own claims and efforts made are reputable and productive:

  • Identify vague language or imagery used and cross-check how the product or service aligns with these claims.
  • Look for evidence or support of these claims from third-party verification, certifications, and/or independent published data reports.
  • Look beyond a single product or service and understand the organization’s climate impact and mission as a whole.
  • Do industry research in regards to the product or service you are interested in, and go with the organization that has the best transparency and track record.
  • Analyze product life cycle and supply channels. Learn more about the materials used and where they are sourced, labor practices, and countries where the products are manufactured in and their local laws.
  • Engage with the community: Read reviews and discussions on platforms that are dedicated to sustainability and make an informed decision based on customer feedback and ratings

The right purchase decisions must be made; we have the privilege of living in a generation with access to platforms and apps that can help you (the consumer) and business owners alike make more informed choices.

Good On You

This app focuses on ethical ratings for fashion brands. With a catalog of over 3,000 fashion brands, ratings are given on a 1 to 5 scale, from “We Avoid” to “Great”. The ratings are given based on the impact a brand has on the planet, people, and animals. Good On You is also able to rate your brand if it’s not already listed and provides sustainable alternatives for the consumer.

Think Dirty

This app allows you to check the contents of your skincare products and check for potentially toxic ingredients. With a simple barcode scan, this independent source gives you information about your products and also recommends sustainable alternatives to you. With a database of over 850,000 products, this tool can help consumers make better decisions. For products that are not in the database, registered users can submit their product and an image of the ingredients for a review to be added to the list of products!

Environmental Working Group

This app rates everything from food to shampoos so you can better understand the contents in them. They have over 150,000 ratings for a multitude of products. All you need to do is scan the product barcode and read information on a given product. The products are rated on a 1-10 scale, 1 being the best rating received.

Ecocart

This platform allows businesses and consumers to track their ecological footprint through machine learning by analyzing the footprint of each order made to the business. It is also able to track progress and improve optimization, making recommendations on how to decrease one’s footprint. Once this calculation is made, it gives the option at checkout to contribute to carbon offsets and also educates about the impact these offsets will/can have.

Buycott

Users can scan the barcode of a product to review product information and company history. Users can join campaigns they are passionate about such as the environment, politics, or animal rights, and if the product scan conflicts with the campaign or users’ core beliefs, they will be notified. If a product does not align with the user, Buycott is able to provide and suggest alternatives that fit the consumer’s needs.

To conclude, greenwashing is a serious issue that needs to be vigilantly addressed by both consumers and businesses. Having an understanding of the different types of greenwashing can help one avoid businesses that engage in these behaviors as well as inform businesses on how to operate more effectively and sustainably. Ultimately, it is crucial that we all prioritize transparency over illusion. Leveraging modern-day tools is also a way to significantly improve productivity by making such identifications. It is important that as a collective we educate, identify, and uplift efforts toward sustainable business practices.