Greenwashing is an advertising method when a company or organization spends more time and money marketing themselves as being sustainable than on actually minimizing their environmental impact. It is used to gain business from the people who want to support companies that care about the planet.
“Nielson’s Global Corporate Sustainability Report found that 66% of consumers would spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand” (Earth.org). This means the company can sell unsustainable products for more by simply stating that they are green.
However, some companies do not realize they are greenwashing. They simply just lack expertise in the area of sustainability and do not understand if a product is environmentally beneficial. They might mean to be eco-friendly but have not done proper research.
Looking out for Greenwashing:
Language that lacks specific details, such as“eco friendly” “sustainability made.” Ask what makes the product these things.
Providing no proof does not give the product credibility.
Only having one green attribute when everything else is unsustainable - overall it’s still unsustainable.
Most importantly, do your research. If a product is actually green, then there will be proof and credibility.
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