Greenwashing: Don't Let the Colour Green Fool You
The term "whitewashing" is one that many hear on a regular basis: the act of deliberately attempting to conceal or hide incriminating information about someone or something. It comes as no surprise that many organisations take part in a similar practice, through something called greenwashing, a play on the original word. The term was coined by New York environmentalist Jay Westerveld in 1986 when he -upon taking a trip to Fiji - noticed a hotel promoting the reuse of towels to "save the environment", when they were really just cutting costs to maximize profits and spend the extra money on a renovation project.
What Is Greenwashing and How Is It Done?
The term greenwashing refers to a form of advertising or marketing that aims at deceiving customers into believing that a company's products are environmentally friendly or that a company has a greater positive environmental impact than it actually does. This is done by emphasising sustainable aspects of a product in an attempt to overshadow the company's involvement in environmentally damaging practices.
This form of false advertising can manifest itself in several different ways, including the following:
Misleading labels and vague claims: labelling products as "all-natural", "eco-friendly", or "green" which are often vague and are not backed up by substantial evidence or proper certification.
Hidden trade-offs and selective disclosure: when companies highlight a single positive environmental aspect of a product while being evasive in disclosing significant adverse impacts. An example of this could include marketing a plastic water bottle as 100% recyclable, and while that may be true, customer are unaware of the harmful chemicals involved in the production of said water bottles. This form of greenwashing, in particular, can be hard to detect, especially since the companies are technically not lying about their product. Yet, there are deliberately withholding information that consumers have a right to know.
Environmental imagery and branding: when companies cater to the customer's visual perception by using imagery associated with nature and the environment, such as trees, leaves and green hues. By sneakily implementing these images into their marketing, companies strategically create an illusion of environmental friendliness and ultimately trick consumers into believing that a product is more environmentally friendly than it actually is.
Lack of sustainability initiatives: boasting about small environmental initiatives with a very little (positive) impact on the environment, not for the sake of saving the environment but as a mere marketing ploy to seem eco-conscious.
False certifications: Using fake certifications or endorsements to give the impression that a third-party approves of and certifies a company's environmental soundness.
Real-Life Examples of Greenwashing
It is one thing to read about different methods of greenwashing , but it is another thing to see them play out in real life. The following are recent examples of how companies have attempted to deceive consumers using greenwashing tactics.
Anglian Water
Type of greenwashing: Concealing pollution record
Anglian Water is a water company that works with managing, supplying and recycling water in the East of England. In 2023, an ad campaign of theirs was banned due to the concealment of their pollution records. The advertisement extolled how Anglian Water strived to provide clean water by creating wildlife-friendly wetlands. Their marketing slogan was "everything we do today is for tomorrow". The Advertising Standards Authority quickly banned the ad campaign after receiving nine complaints that the ads were misleading and contradicted the fact that Anglian Water had a hefty history of releasing sewage into the environment. The Environment Agency figures from early 2023 showed that there were a total of 301 091 sewage spills in 2022, an average of 824 a day. In May of 2023, Anglian Water pleaded guilty to allowing millions of litres of sewage to overflow from a water recycling centre in Essex and pledged to invest 10 billions pounds as compensation for their actions. In turn, they received a hefty fine of 2.65 millions pounds. Now, the money needed for their 10 billion-pound investment will not magically appear out of thin air. Predictably, unspecified increases in customer bills will fund the investments and ultimately add further pressure to household costs. So the real question is: why should consumers take the fault for the company's deliberate mistake?
Delta Airlines
Type of greenwashing: False carbon-neutrality claims
Delta Airlines is a major airline in the United States with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2023, a Delta passenger sued the airline for their false claim that it had been "carbon neutral" for three years. In 2020, the airline pledged 1 billion dollars towards becoming carbon neutral and managing its global greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade. They vowed that they would spend the money on carbon credits: namely, the conservation of rainforest, wetlands and grasslands as well as decarbonising their operations and increasing plane efficiency while minimising jet fuel use. The lawsuit claimed that it was false for Delta to claim carbon neutrality due to their reliance on carbon offsets that were ultimately inadequate for combatting climate change. Their self-proclaimed title as "the world's first carbon-neutral airline" put customers under the impression that by buying Delta airline tickets, their flight would have no impact on the environment, which is false. So, although Delta had been adamant about reducing their emissions, "carbon-neutral" was a rather misleading marketing claim.
IKEA
Type of greenwashing: Illegal logging
IKEA, the world's largest consumer of wood, has faced scrutiny over its timber sourcing practices, particularly in Eastern Europe. Investigations by Earthsight revealed that IKEA utilized illegally harvested beech wood from Ukraine's Carpathian forests, a region home to endangered species like bears, lynxes, wolves, and bison. Notably, this timber bore certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), raising concerns about the effectiveness of FSC's oversight. Earthsight described "rampant illegal logging" occurring globally under FSC's supervision. Despite these controversies, IKEA is often recognized for its sustainability efforts. The company claims that 99.5% of its wood is either recycled or FSC-certified. However, critics argue that such certifications may not fully guarantee ethical sourcing, as evidenced by the Ukrainian case. This situation highlights the complexities in global supply chains and the challenges in ensuring truly sustainable and legal sourcing of materials, even for companies with strong environmental commitments.
How to Detect Greenwashing
The best way to avoid being fooled by greenwashing tactics is by simply doing research and investigating the brand prior to purchasing their products or services.
This may seem like a daunting task but a good place to start is looking into the resources a company uses to produce its products. When doing this, it is also a good idea to fimiliarise yourselves with recognised certifications. Some trustworthy seals to look for on your products are:
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)
Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)
Click here for a comprehensive list of trustworthy sustainability seals
If you are still unsure about whether a product is trustworthy or not, be sure to pay attention to wording. Persuasive language is commonly used in marketing schemes as it can greatly influence one's perception of a product. Companies often use buzzwords to paint themselves in a good light, but these words usually lack substance and are quite vague. The following is a list of words to look out for:
- Eco-friendly
- All-natural
- Earth-friendly
- Non-toxic
- Synonyms to pure, raw or organic
A good rule of thumb is that if you find yourself asking "what does any of this actually mean?", chances are that it is likely greenwashing.
Another thing to be on the lookout for is carbon offsetting which is something we discussed earlier regarding the Delta airline lawsuit. Often times, a business or organisation will attempt to balance their own emissions by finding other ways to remove an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. However, this is more or less like kicking dust under the rug. Rather than dealing with the issue of actually cutting their emissions, companies will come up with fraudulent ways of claiming that they are meeting emissions targets whilst they are still pumping the atmosphere with greenhouse gases.
How To Be A Sustainable Consumer
Of course, being able to detect and avoid greenwashing is not enough. You should also be able to make lifestyle changes to live sustainably and be a conscious consumer. This is extremely important as many of the leading causes of climate change are related to consumption, and particularly overconsumption. To reiterate, sustainability is all about using our resources effectively so as not to deplete them. Therefore, it is up to us consumers to choose our products wisely.
The following are conscious choices you can make to live sustainably:
- Reduce food waste
- By reducing food waste (i.e. buying only what you need and eating what you buy) you not only save money but you also reduce your environmental footprint. The EPA's article about preventing food waste at home is a useful guide for reducing unnecessary waste.
- Focus on quality over quantity
- Sure, low-quality items may be a cheap and ideal alternative in the short-term. But in the long-run, these products do not last very long and you will end up spending more money replacing these items than you would investing in more expensive but better-quality products.
- Use sustainably-sourced wood
- Try buying reclaimed/second-hand wooden furniture along with recycled paper products. Refer to this Good Wood Guide for more information.
- Eat less meat and dairy
- One of the leading causes of climate change is the agricultural industry as it contributes to the depletion of natural resources. Therefore, reducing our overconsumption of animal products and moving towards a more plant-based diet will benefit both human and environmental health.
- Buy organic produce
- Non-organic produce is often loaded with chemical and pesticides that harm the environment, come from all over the world (which means that they need to be transported long distances) and are usually out of season. Even if you cannot afford organic, seasonal and locally-sourced produce is always best.
- Buy second-hand items
- We have all heard of the saying "reuse, reduce and recycle". Well, buying second-hand items goes hand in hand with that mindset. Not only are you using fewer resources when you thrift something, but you are also saving money by buying products that are *almost as good as new!
Of course, not everyone has the luxury of buying organic produce or expensive products for the sake of being environmentally conscious. That is why it is important to realise that there are different kinds of consumers with different financial situations and priorities. Figuring out what kind of consumer you are is the first step to consuming more sustainably and making reasonable decisions that fit your lifestyle and needs. This website is a great tool for doing so: https://www.econyl.com/magazine/which-sustainable-consumer-are-you/
Concluding Thoughts
Greenwashing is not just a marketing tactic; it is a serious ethical issue that misleads consumers and undermines genuine environmental efforts. As companies continue to exploit sustainability as a selling point, it becomes increasingly important for consumers to remain vigilant. By researching and critically evaluating the claims made by businesses, we can avoid being deceived and support brands that genuinely prioritize environmental responsibility. After all, combating greenwashing is not only about holding corporations accountable but also about ensuring a more transparent and sustainable future for all.
