Stripping the green wash: how to spot greenwashing
Companies have sussed out that consumers care a lot more about the environment these days. So much so that two-thirds of shoppers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products (EcoWatch. 2021). So instead of taking serious action, many have just painted themselves in a bit of greenwash.
So what actually is greenwashing?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as a “behaviour or activities that make people believe a company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.”. Are any companies coming to mind? Fast fashion brands, airlines, the dairy industry, the list goes on..
Greenwashing confuses consumers while making no progress towards a sustainable future, which is why we can’t let them get away with it! As consumers, we can wise up to these tricks, and wash off the green to find out the truth.
How can we spot greenwashing?
Keep an eye out for vague, wishy-washy language.
Be wary of green buzzwords such as “eco, “sustainable”, and “green” if they’re not backed up by proof.
Check who owns the company, often big polluting firms buy smaller ones to target the more environmentally conscious consumer.
If it’s too good to be true, maybe it is. Watch out for statements that seem unrealistic.
Look for the information that's missing, are they hiding something? Have they failed to mention the negative effects?
Who’s been at it with the green paint?
Sometimes these companies get caught in the act. Here’s the type of greenwashing we need to look out for.
Smoothie maker Innocent released an advert of cute animals singing about recycling and fixing the planet. But who owns Innocent? Coca-Cola, the work plastic polluter in the WORLD.
Airline Ryanair released the very bold statement of saying they were the “lowest emissions airline” in Europe, turns out they just made the claim up.
Starbucks moved to a “straw-less lid” as part of their so-called “sustainability drive”, but the new lid had more plastic than the old lid and straw combined. Illogical right?
H&M threw around a bunch of sustainability claims about their clothing, a report found 96% of these claims were misleading. Not ok.
What about the food industry?
We know that the food industry is having horrendous consequences across the world, so a recent study (Feedback. 2023) looked into greenwashing within supermarkets. The results showed it was rife and widespread across all major supermarkets. To namedrop a few:
Tesco is promoting its electric delivery vans, whereas even once they reach full capacity this will save 0.1% of Tesco’s yearly emissions.
Sainsbury’s claims to be helping consumers choose “healthy and sustainable diets” however their new value range consists of 35 products with meat and dairy and just 12 fruit or veg products.
Aldi has claimed to be carbon neutral since 2019, but this carbon neutrality only applies to 5% of its emissions that come from the head office and stores and does not address the 95% relating to products.
So it’s time to shop sassy. Keep a lookout for companies looking to make a big profit without having a big impact on their emissions and support companies that share your mission for a sustainable future. Because consumers can have the power to make a big impact.
References
BBC. 2021. Climate change: seven ways to spot businesses greenwashing. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59119693
Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/greenwashing
Earth.org. 2022. 10 Companies Called Out For Greenwashing. https://earth.org/greenwashing-companies-corporations/
EcoWatch. 2021. A Guide to Greenwashing and How to Spot It. https://www.ecowatch.com/greenwashing-guide-2655331542.html
Feedback. 2023. Greenwash Rife Across UK Supermarkets. https://feedbackglobal.org/uks-leading-supermarkets-prioritise-meat-and-dairy-sales-ahead-of-public-health-and-the-climate/
The Sustainable Agency. 2021. Greenwashing: 11 Recent Stand-Out Examples. https://thesustainableagency.com/blog/greenwashing-examples/
