Climate action and other environmental issues are hot topics these days, thanks in part to the attention drawn to them by teenage activist Greta Thunberg over the last few years. As with any hot topic, many companies jump on board and make claims related to sustainability. But are these claims true? Or is it just greenwashing?
This post was originally published in September 2020 and updated in July 2023.
When I started to hear the term greenwashing, I decided to take a closer look. Read on to learn what greenwashing is, why companies do it and why you should be concerned about it. I’ve also got some examples of greenwashing in action, and five tips to help you avoid being duped.
What is greenwashing?
Investopedia defines greenwashing as:
The process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound.
Investopedia
So basically, it’s when companies trick you into thinking they are more environmentally friendly than they really are by using words like green or natural, or by making public gestures to cover up their environmental irresponsibility. These companies spend more time and money marketing themselves as environmentally sound than actually doing the work to make it a reality.
What’s the point of greenwashing?
You might wonder why companies would bother doing this if they don’t value sustainability. It’s because the green message sells, especially with the growing and lucrative market of young people.
A report from Accenture showed companies that combine high levels of innovation, along with sustainability & trust, on the other, outperform their industry peers, with 3.1% higher operating profits and greater returns to shareholders. And Deloitte’s 2023 Gen Z and Millennial survey found seven out of ten respondents actively try to minimize their environmental impact.
So, if sustainability translates into profits, why wouldn’t companies jump on the bandwagon or at least make it look like they’re jumping on the bandwagon?
Some examples of greenwashing
We’ve all seen them. Plastic water bottles with images of pristine mountains and lakes on the labels. Personal care products labelled pure or natural that contain potentially harmful chemicals.
Earth.org calls out some glaring examples of greenwashing on their website. Here are a few that stood out.
- Fossil-fuel giant BP changed its name to Beyond Petroleum and marketed its investment in renewable energy, yet 96% of its annual spend is on oil and gas.
- Coca-Cola remains the single largest plastic polluter in the world, despite its claims to be tackling plastic pollution.
- Many fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara have introduced “sustainable” clothing lines. This might feel like progress but many of the claims are not backed up with fact.
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Why is greenwashing a problem?
One of the problems with greenwashing is it could result in consumers buying products they believe are good for the environment when, in fact, they could be harmful to the environment.
It also hurts companies who do make an honest effort to be sustainable by eroding their value proposition.
But the biggest problem with greenwashing is it leads to a general skepticism around anything claiming to be environmentally friendly. You’ve probably heard people say things like “Well that green stuff is all just a bunch of crap so why bother?”
How you can spot greenwashing
It’s clear you need to be vigilant to not be fooled by greenwashing. Here are five ways to avoid being duped:
- Don’t be fooled by green packaging and empty claims. Question words like pure, natural, green, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, sustainable, bio, chemical-free, botanical, non-toxic, earth-friendly. There are no laws requiring companies to back these claims up.
- If a product claims to be “certified” as anything, look for details on the certification and check out its credibility.
- Verify products on a reputable site like the Environmental Working Group’s EWG.org
- Look for the evidence. Check the company’s website. If they are serious about sustainability, there will be clear details of their plan. Watch out for vague wording.
- Finally, if you have the time and interest, consider making your own personal care and cleaning products. That way, you control the ingredients.
It seems greenwashing is here to stay. Ultimately, your best defense is to do your homework. Find brands and products you can trust and stick to them.
Have you seen examples of greenwashing? Tell us about them below.
Thank you for alerting us to the dangers of Green Washing. We just have to be vigilant about everything – dont we! So disappointed in the way big companies work when they actually have the money and resources to put things right x
Thanks for reading. Yes, we definitely need to be vigilant. It’s a shame we can’t depend on people and companies to do the right thing. That’s why I believe we won’t see real change until there’s legislation on some of these issues.
We watched A Life on our Planet by David Attenborough. It broke our hearts, made us sob and although our heart feels heavy at the greed man is driven by, we also feel galvanised to make a difference in the way that we live. To make more of an effort in helping to reverse the devastating effects of mans doing on planet earth. Its a film worth watching. Hope you are well Michelle xx
I don’t know enough about greenwashing so your trigger words to look out for were really useful – I’ve printed them out and will keep them with me for future reference, thank you, Michelle!
Thanks Lisa. I’m glad you found the list of words useful.
Excellent post, Michelle! I’m going to start watching out for this. It’s incredibly misleading, and downright shameful. I think any company that partakes in greenwashing should have to pay huge fines. And as you said, if sustainability (which of course in and of itself is the right thing to do) equates to growth, why wouldn’t companies change their ways?
I agree. It’s very shortsighted but, in the chase for immediate profits, sometimes the right thing gets pushed aside.
I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this term before, yet I’m already so intrigued about it! I think it’s such a shame that companies are trying to deceive people into believing they’re more sustainable than they actually are. I’ll definitely be looking out for this issue more from now on. Thanks for sharing Michelle!
Thanks Em! When you start to look for greenwashing, you’ll find all sorts of examples.
Green washing is saying one thing and doing another! Misleading to say the least, but it sells more product and that’s their bottom line! I despise the plastic clamshell containers for baked goods and vegetables like Spinach and salad fixings. During this pandemic we cannot use our own containers either eg. The Bulk Barn, and I just got used to taking my own containers too!! Thank you for sharing!
I know. I really miss the bring your own container programs too. I’m still shopping at Bulk Barn, though. It’s still way less plastic, and less waste, than pre-packaged goods.
You know, that’s the problem I have with the green movement. There is one grocery store I shop at that sells only organic produce, gives paper bags and decomposable bags when you check out, but individually wraps it’s veggies in plastic. This is just one example but I don’t really buy it when companies claim to be environmentally friendly.
I know. It’s unfortunate because I think there are companies that really are environmentally friendly but the ones that aren’t make everyone skeptical. That’s why it’s important for consumers to pay attention and ask questions.
H&M was the first company I thought of when I started reading your post. They are horrible at doing greenwashing. It’s so important to do the homework on brands these days. I’ve been seeing Amazon commercials lately that are attempting to greenwash their company with ads about how their working for a better future but lacking specifics on how they changing now.
You’re right Alison, it’s so important to do our research. I did get an encouraging sign from Amazon this week when I received a package in a recyclable padded envelope instead of a plastic bubble envelope. Baby steps!
The Swiss Chalet example really got me. The bright red sticker announcing changes to packaging. The website survey URL that didn’t work. And nothing on their website with any details about what they’re doing!
It is frustrating when these companies take advantage of other’s good intentions!
I know and they are sometime so subtle about it. You really need to pay attention to spot it.