Greenwashing alert!
A few days ago, a friend of mine was talking about green products and the existence of a very rare and unique term: greenwashing. At the moment I heard her talking about this concept, I knew my next blog post should be about it. So what is “greenwashing“? It is a marketing strategy used by many, not to say thousands, of companies to sell their products as “environmentally” friendly but in reality the product life-cycle and the product it self is not at all environmentally friendly. So just like not everything that shines is gold, the same goes for green products. They are not necessarily green just because the seller says so. Let’s illustrate this concept with a specific brand.
The next video is McDonald’s latest ad. The main message is about how their coffee is completely green and sustainable. But is it?
Did you know that McDonald’s still uses beef grazed on deforested land in South America and still uses its disposable packaging? It is good that they are trying to make good actions such as using coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. However, being a sustainable brand means more than just a few actions. It is integrating the entire concept of sustainability into the values of the brand. McDonald’s should consider to care about the environment, the animals and their consumers. I believe they still have a long way to go in order to call themselves a green brand.
The risk of creating greenwashing marketing has increased since 2000’s. The main reason is because “from 2007 to 2009 eco-friendly product launches increased by more than 500%” (Growing Green by Gregory Unruh & Richard Ettenson). The majority of them are not selling green products, but just want to take advantage of this trend. A major example is the cosmetic industry and how they use sentences such as “herbal”, “bio” or “organic” on their packaging to sell their products.
So what can I do about it? Is there any strategy to identify them? The answer is YES. We are in the era of communication. By using the internet we can research more and more about this topic. It is very important always to check the source, but if you are interested and you want to continue reading about it, here are some amazing sites:
- Greenwashing Index rates the level of “greenwashing” an ad has.
- Some of the most memorables examples of greenwashing.
- Beware!
Really interesting read. The discussion surrounding companies that greenwash or only have specific initiatives that are sustainable is complex to say the least. In a perfect world, all organizations would be taking actions to integrate sustainability at the core of their operations. On the other hand, should we hold organizations that do have even one single sustainable initiative (i.e. the Coca Cola example we chatted about in class) higher than others? The alternative could be to not do anything at all.
Thank you for your comment! I do believe that any effort is appreciate it, but some companies should make a stronger effort. -Maria
Hi! Thank you for sharing the links! I found the links you share super helpful especially where nowadays ‘going green’ is just another marketing scheme for any other company.
I am glad the topic of green washing has became a common discussion among consumers, which hopefully encourage people to look more closely when they are assessing these companies green initiatives. I also agree with your point that for most companies, such as McDonalds are still a long way from calling themselves a green brand. However, referring back to many of our class discussions, wouldn’t it be better in the long run if we try to normalize sustainable actions in business operations rather than putting it on the social pedestal? I want to know your thoughts.
Thank you again for sharing!
Hi there, thank you for your comment! Well, I do believe that sustainable actions should be normalized. The thing is, us, as consumers, we would loose many options among goods. A restriction according to the level of sustainability should be well implemented and should vary among industries. Meaning the level of sustainability in the food industry should not be the same as in technology industry. Moreover, I do not believe I understand what you mean with social pedestal. If what you mean is a brand being recognized as sustainable and is not truly, then I would say the restrictions would delete this social pedestal eventually. If every company and industry is supposed to have a certain level of sustainability, then saying that you are sustainable would not be a trend anymore, but normal. -Maria
Thanks for the Greenwashing link! I find myself, as a busy student and consumer, choosing products that advertise their “greenness” over others, even when they may not be eco-friendly whatsoever. Definitely using this link when I see a compelling advertisement, just to check. The difference is that I know about greenwashing. For those who don’t understand and don’t have the self-motivation to research, I feel there is a lot more truly sustainable companies could do to highlight greenwashing’s negative effects. I think consumer education is a huge component of a successful shift to a more sustainable consumer culture.
Hi Rachel! Thank you for your comment. I agree that not everyone wants to spend their time researching about the greenness of a company. However, I believe it is a routine that people can adapt.-Maria