When a company says that their products
are green, eco-friendly or sustainable
that's, good for the environment, right?
Welll, maybe.
But it's possible that the company is
greenwashing. What?
Greenwashing. It's when the company
makes unsupportive claims that mislead
customers into thinking that their
products are sustainable or eco-friendly.
This makes the companies to appeal to
their environmental mind of consuming
without actually having to make
meaningful changes in their business
practices.
And that's not cool for you or the planet
that we live on. No it's not.
Greenwashing is a big problem
and there's so many moving parts
So, in fact, why greenwashing happens?
And how you can use your power as a
consumer to help?
Wow. Sustainable explainable
So, why would businesses actually decide
to greenwash?
According to one survey, 66% of the
respondents said that they takes
sustainability into account whenever
they are shopping.
So it's no surprise that business are
trying to attract this growing audience
As business are scrambling to meet the
desires of the market, many of them are
finding that just slapping a green sticker
on something and calling it green is
way easier and cheaper than making
the fundamental changes that consumers
are actually looking for
And you definitely have seen greenwashing
at the stores.
You know the picture ads
with nature scenes are strategically
placed leaves an, of course, lots and lots
of green.
And if it's green, it must be good right?
Not always
And this can be so confusing
as a customer because you just want to go
to the store, buy what you need without
destroying the planet making eco-friendly
choices and go home
But greenwashing floods the market with
so many products that claim to be
environmentally friendly when they're
actually not. And that makes it very
difficult for users and consumers make the
best sustainable choice. And this even
with cleaning products that claim to be
non-toxic when they are actually toxic.
Or a strawless lid that turns out to have
more plastic in it than a lid and a straw.
And furthermore, if a company sold you
a plastic cup that used to have a
plastic straw and you take off the plastic
straw and no longer have a plastic straw
The plastic cup that they sold you still
unsustainable. Greenwashing.
Greenwashing can come in so many
different forms
We are on a look-out for
suggestive imagery, selective disclosure
symbolic actions, lack of roof, bagginess
and over phares.
At this point you're probably ready to
tossing the towel of green consuming,
but don't hold on to that towel
because there is hope
Green products, they do exist.
And here is what you can do as
a consumer to make sure that you're
practices are green win instead of
greenwash
Look for evidence. And if it seems vague
then talks on a detective cap and see
if he can find some confirmation
or deceive if there's third party
certifications. These third party
certifications help to confirm that a
product is eco-friendly.
A few stamps for approval like
FSC certified, USDA Organic, Energy Star
and Fair Trade USA
Be aware of plain language like
one hundred percent Earth friendly,
completely sustainable. If it sounds too
good to be true, probably is.
Make sure that this clear marketing
when refrain to eco claims. When
looking at a product, marketing
should tell you if the packaging, or
the product, or both are sustainable and
lastly, do your best.
An in the age of fast paced information
updates and changing sustainability
landscape, it's truly difficult to know
weather or not you are making a
right decision as a customer
But remember these large companies that
need to change and that the world
is not under your shoulders but
your choices do have an impact.
These companies linten to the market
and they listen to the consumers.
Every day, we have lots and lots of
decisions that we make.
That means we have lots and lots of
opportunities to make sustainable
decisions.
So stick in that. You're not alone because
we are in this together.
Thanks for watching and if you're
a little curious and you want to know more
about greenwashing, go to the link
in our bio and also go to our website
sustainable-earth.org to be up to date
on all things sustainability.