Everything You Need to Know About Greenwashing

Is that 'green' product actually environmentally friendly? Here's the scoop on greenwashing and how you can spot it.
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Greenwashing is a form of misleading marketing that makes you, the consumer, believe companies are doing more to protect the environment than they actually are. Companies like Nestle, Shell, BMW, and General Electric have all been accused of greenwashing over the past 20 years.

47% of American consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, according to a 2019 survey. So how do you look for red flags? Be a skeptic, look for certified eco-labels, and do your research.

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Is the "green" product

you just bought actually

environmentally friendly?

Or is a company misleading you
with false claims to get your money?

Weel, it might be the latter,

which is also known as greenwashing.

You've probably heard the term,

but greenwashing
is a form of misleading marketing

that makes you, the consumer,

believe companies are doing more
to protect the environment

than they actually are.

Like when a company releases
a new "green" program or product,

but the core of the business

is still polluting
or completely unsustainable.

So today we're gonna go over
how to spot greenwashing,

and how to find products

that are actually
environmentally friendly.

The term greenwashing was first coined
in 1986

by environmentalist Jay Westerveld

after he saw a beach resort
asking guests to reuse towels

in order to reduce ecological damage,

and help protect the oceans and reefs.

But the irony was

that the resort was in the middle
of an expansion,

which means they'd be damaging
the ecosystem themselves.

Westerveld then went on to write about it
in a term papaer,

which then turned into an essay
for a literary magazine,

and that's when the term caught on.

But one of the earliest examples
of greenwashing

dates back to the '60s

when the electrical company Westinghouse

released an ad campaign

proclaiming nuclear power plants

were clear and safe for the environment.

Those ads were also released right after
two nuclear meltdowns

in Michigan and Idaho.

The ads also ignored anything
in regards to nuclear waste.

Nowadays, being sustainable

is something more people care about.

So much so that 47% of American consumers
are willing to pay more

for sustainable products

according to a 2019 survery.

But greenwashing still remains prominent
in corporate marketing.

Companies like Nestlé, Shell, BMW
and General Electric

were all accused of greenwashing

over the past 20 years.

So how can you, the consumer,

look out for these kinds of false claims

and buy products
that are actually eco-friendly?

Well, here are 3 ways
you can look for red flags.

Number 1:
Be a skeptic

If something reads like
it's too good to be true,

then it probably is.

For example,

a lot of campanies will advertise
their products

as 100% biodegradable or recyclable.

But what they don't put on the label

is that it's only biodegradable
or recyclable,

if it's discard properly
and weathered in the right conditions.

So this type of greenwashing
captures consumers

through lack of transparency
and informational context,

leaving you
to put in the extra work

to figure out
if the product is as green as they claim.

Other labelling jargon
to look out for and question

include terms like:

sustainnable

socially responsible

eco-friendly

and recycled content.

If you see these words,
don't just assume it's true.

Look for additional certification
on the label

to make sure the claim is verified.

Which brings us to our second step.

Look for certified eco-labels.

Some of eco-labels will also include
badges of approval

from Fairtrade, the EPA's Safer Choice,
Green Seal and B Corporation Certification

amongst many more.

These assesments signify

that the product
has met a spesific criteria

and that it meets federal or international
regulation standards.

But if there's an eco-label
you don't recognize,

you can always go online
and cross reference it.

Website like Ecolabel Index tracks
over 400 eco-labels in 199 countries.

So you can look up
what each eco-labels means,

the process behind its certification,

and what products are labeled with it.