BY: Savanna Pruitt
Given the state of our global environment and growing concerns about Earth’s future, it makes sense that modern companies are doing everything they can to ease consumers’ minds and persuade them to keep buying. According to a recent survey conducted by Nielsen IQ, 66% of consumers are actually willing to pay more for sustainable products, and over half of those willing are “influenced by key sustainability factors, such as a product being made from fresh, natural and/or organic ingredients (69%), a company being environmentally friendly (58%), and company being known for its commitment to social value (56%).” Most companies and corporations are well aware of this trend in commerce, and they’re eager to cash in on it. As a result, some resort to corporate greenwashing.
According to Investopedia, “Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound.” Companies who practice greenwashing often do everything they can to market their services or products as eco-friendly without actually making any changes to help the environment. Greenwashing practices include designing packaging to seem more natural when it really isn’t, using environmental buzzwords that hold no real meaning in advertisements, and blatantly lying to the public about material sourcing or production methods. While modern companies are certainly making use of these unsavory practices, the concept of corporate greenwashing actually started up as early as the 1960s. Investopedia reports that during this time, the hotel industry started asking guests to reuse their towels to supposedly help the environment. In reality, the industry was just looking to lower laundry costs.
Today, companies and corporations are practicing greenwashing on a much larger and detrimental scale. For example, Conscious Life & Style reports that Nestle was sued in 2019 for marketing its cocoa beans as being “sustainably sourced” while actually contributing to deforestation in Africa and supporting child labor while sourcing the beans. In 2011, Fiji Water was sued for claiming to be carbon-negative, even though it would not be a truly carbon-negative brand until 2037. Additionally, Conscious Life & Style states that greenwashing is rampant within the fashion industry and explains that apparel producers will often use environmental buzzwords like “conscious” or “ethical” to market their products without actually implementing environmentally-friendly practices.
There are repercussions for companies and corporations who are accused of greenwashing, and there are also rules in place to prevent the practice entirely. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asks that companies explain their products’ environmental claims in simple language, avoid overstating the environmental benefits of a product, and provide evidence to back up any environmental claims made. Outside of the United States, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) “brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges” with the help of 165 international members.
While there are some government laws and guidelines in place to prevent corporate greenwashing, it’s clear that we as consumers need to be aware of greenwashing and be able to spot it on our own when making buying decisions. Global safety science leader Underwriters Laboratories’ “Sins of Greenwashing” provides consumers with specific things to look out for when trying to spot corporate greenwashing. These “sins” include the sin of no proof, the sin of vagueness, and the sin of fibbing. Sustainable Jungle encourages consumers to keep an eye out for reputable third-party certifications such as USDA certified organic, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Carbon Trust Standard while shopping. Additionally, consumers should always seek out verified proof to back up a company’s claims of being eco-friendly or sustainable. If we are able to identify greenwashing and hold companies who practice it accountable, we are more likely to see positive growth in corporate sustainability and ethics in the future.
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