How to avoid greenwashing in five minutes or less

“Greenwashing” refers to the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. Companies claiming to be green without actually being green is a problem because it tricks consumers into buying their products, thereby supporting their malpractice and allowing them to profit off of good-natured people.

Greenwashing takes multiple approaches:

1. False Appeals – outright lying about a product or service’s eco-friendliness, considered an explicit form of deception
2. Vague Claims – overly broad or poorly defined claims that create an incorrect impression (ex. “Contains Organic* Ingredients,” some*)
3. Misleading Labels or Certifications – which do not exist and are often self-created
4. Irrelevant Claims – “Nitrate-free sneakers”
5. Lesser of Two Evils – when a product is labeled environmentally-friendly in its category, but the product itself is harmful to the environment (ex. “cleaner oil”)

The easiest thing you can do to avoid greenwashing is to do your research before buying something. It takes only a minute as there are many independent companies that help people identify truly eco-friendly products out there. It can be as easy as searching “is this/that product good for the environment” on Google. It’s not exciting but it is important, sometimes the best solutions are. You can’t spend each day at a protest but you can learn to vote with your wallet.

SOURCE: Bloomberg