How To Spot Greenwashing
As the public has become more environmentally conscious over the past couple decades, companies have been attempting to capitalize on the desire for more environmentally friendly products. The problem is, sometimes these “eco-friendly” claims aren’t entirely honest, but merely a marketing ploy.
This “greenwashing” can appear in many forms, such as:
- claims that seem vague and poorly-defined, such as “all-natural”. After all, arsenic and mercury are both toxic and found in nature
- alternatively, using words that are overly scientific
- using imagery like plants, leaves and animals in their logos and packaging to give off a “green” impression
- claiming to be organic, vegan or cruelty free without the science or proof to back it up
- manufacturing in an exploitative environment
- choosing to focus on the eco-friendly ingredients of their products while ignoring the other ways their company impacts the environment
- products containing "recyclable plastic" rather than choosing a non-plastic alternative
Being able to identify greenwashing is an important step towards living an eco-friendly lifestyle, since a lot of these practices can cause more harm to the environment than the traditional practices.
Companies and products that employ actual green marketing rather than greenwashing will look more like this:
- Products are manufactured sustainably
- Items arrive with minimal packaging
- Free of toxic materials
- Able to be recycled or made from recycled materials
- Made with biodegradable materials
- Designed to be repaired or reused
- The company offers an end-of-life program for its products such as a recycling program
- Makers of truly "green" products are happy to be specific about the benefits and detailed ingredients lists
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