Brands are all about reputation, and right now, sustainability is a hot topic. So to stay relevant, many brands launch these ‘greenwashing’ initiatives that look good on the surface, to mislead people into thinking they care about the environment, without actually having to make any real changes. It’s good to check if a brand is backing up their green claims with serious commitments to reduce its impact on the environment and society.
- Did you see Big Oil™ is apparently ‘environmentally friendly’ now?
- That’s a greenwashing campaign if I ever saw one.
- Literallyyyyy.
How can you spot that a company is greenwashing?
Claiming to be eco-friendly when you're not is called greenwashing. Any eco-friendly claims need to be supported by data or actions. Hidden trade-offs are also an example of greenwashing.
What is an example of greenwashing?
If you claim to be eco-friendly but you have a high carbon footprint, this is greenwashing. Your carbon footprint will be higher if you use single-use plastic or rely on fossil fuels for energy.
How does greenwashing affect the environment?
Making eco-friendly choices is a lot harder if companies are greenwashing. It means authentic eco-friendly claims are harder to identify. Customers can then become sceptical towards all eco-friendly claims, or may even make choices that are not eco-friendly, thinking they are.
