hide💡July 26 marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Accessibility and Inclusion is at the heart of what we do, learn with Amara.org about the role of captions in ADA compliance!

< Return to Video

What is Greenwashing? | Sustainable Explainable

  • 0:00 - 0:02
    When a company says that their product
  • 0:02 - 0:04
    is green, eco-friendly or sustainable
  • 0:04 - 0:06
    that's, good for the environment, right?
  • 0:07 - 0:09
    Welll, maybe.
  • 0:11 - 0:13
    is greenwashing. What?
  • 0:13 - 0:14
    Greenwashing. It's when the company
  • 0:14 - 0:17
    makes unsupportive claims that mislead
  • 0:17 - 0:18
    customers into thinking that their
  • 0:18 - 0:21
    products are sustainable or eco-friendly.
  • 0:21 - 0:22
    This makes the companies to appeal to
  • 0:22 - 0:24
    their environmental mind of consumer
  • 0:24 - 0:26
    without actually having to make
  • 0:26 - 0:27
    meaningful changes in
  • 0:27 - 0:28
    their business practices.
  • 0:28 - 0:30
    And that's not cool for you
  • 0:30 - 0:33
    or the planete that we live on.
    No it's not.
  • 0:33 - 0:35
    Greenwashing is a big problem
  • 0:35 - 0:37
    and there's so many moving parts.
  • 0:37 - 0:39
    So, in fact, why greenwashing happens?
  • 0:39 - 0:41
    And how you can use your power as a
  • 0:41 - 0:43
    conscious consumer to help?
  • 0:48 - 0:51
    Wow. Sustainable explainable.
  • 0:52 - 0:54
    So, why would businesses actually decide
  • 0:54 - 0:55
    to greenwash?
  • 0:56 - 0:58
    According to one survey, 66% of the
  • 0:58 - 1:00
    respondents said that they takes
  • 1:00 - 1:02
    sustainability into account whenever
  • 1:02 - 1:03
    they are shopping.
  • 1:03 - 1:05
    So it's no surprise that businesses are
  • 1:05 - 1:08
    trying to attract this growing audience.
  • 1:08 - 1:10
    As businesses are scrambling to meet the
  • 1:10 - 1:12
    desires of the market, many of them are
  • 1:12 - 1:14
    finding that just slapping a green sticker
  • 1:14 - 1:16
    on something and calling it a day is
  • 1:16 - 1:18
    way easier and cheaper than making
  • 1:18 - 1:20
    the fundamental changes that customers
  • 1:20 - 1:21
    are actually looking for.
  • 1:21 - 1:23
    And you definitely have seen greenwashing
  • 1:23 - 1:24
    at the stores.
  • 1:24 - 1:26
    You know the picture ads
  • 1:26 - 1:28
    with nature scenes, the strategically
  • 1:28 - 1:30
    placed leaves an, of course, lots and lots
  • 1:30 - 1:31
    of green.
  • 1:32 - 1:34
    And if it's green, it must be good right?
  • 1:34 - 1:35
    Not always
  • 1:36 - 1:37
    And this can be so confusing
  • 1:37 - 1:40
    as a customer because you just want to go
  • 1:40 - 1:42
    to the store, buy what you need without
  • 1:42 - 1:44
    destroying the planet making eco-friendly
  • 1:44 - 1:46
    choices and go home.
  • 1:46 - 1:49
    But greenwashing floods the market with
  • 1:49 - 1:50
    so many products that claim to be
  • 1:50 - 1:52
    environmentally friendly when they're
  • 1:52 - 1:54
    actually not. And that makes it very
  • 1:54 - 1:56
    difficult for users
    and consumers to make
  • 1:56 - 1:58
    the best sustainable choice.
  • 1:58 - 2:00
    And this even with cleaning products
  • 2:01 - 2:03
    that claim to be non-toxic
    when they are actually toxic.
  • 2:04 - 2:07
    Or a strawless lid that turns out to have
  • 2:07 - 2:09
    more plastic in it than a lid and a straw.
  • 2:10 - 2:11
    And furthermore,
  • 2:11 - 2:12
    if a company sold you
  • 2:12 - 2:13
    a plastic cup that used to have a
  • 2:13 - 2:15
    plastic straw and you take off the plastic
  • 2:15 - 2:17
    straw and no longer have a plastic straw
  • 2:17 - 2:19
    The plastic cup that they sold you
  • 2:19 - 2:21
    is still unsustainable. Greenwashing.
  • 2:22 - 2:23
    Greenwashing can come in
  • 2:23 - 2:24
    so many different forms.
  • 2:24 - 2:26
    We are on a look-out for
  • 2:26 - 2:29
    suggestive imagery, selective disclosure
  • 2:29 - 2:34
    symbolic actions, hidden trades off
    lack of proof, vagueness
  • 2:35 - 2:36
    and over inflated phrases.
  • 2:38 - 2:40
    At this point you're probably ready to
  • 2:40 - 2:42
    tossing the towel of green consumerism,
  • 2:42 - 2:45
    but don't, hold on to that towel
  • 2:45 - 2:46
    because there is hope.
  • 2:48 - 2:50
    Green products, they do exist.
  • 2:50 - 2:52
    And here's what you can do as consumer to
  • 2:52 - 2:54
    make sure that your practices
  • 2:54 - 2:55
    are green win instead of
  • 2:55 - 2:56
    greenwash
  • 2:58 - 3:01
    Look for evidence. And if it seems vague
  • 3:01 - 3:03
    then toss on your detective cap and see
  • 3:03 - 3:04
    if you can find some confirmation.
  • 3:04 - 3:06
    Look for
    a third party certification.
  • 3:06 - 3:08
    These third party
  • 3:08 - 3:10
    certifications help to confirm that a
  • 3:10 - 3:11
    product is eco-friendly.
  • 3:11 - 3:12
    Look for stamps of approval like
  • 3:12 - 3:15
    FSC certified, USDA Organic, Energy Star
  • 3:15 - 3:16
    and Fair Trade USA.
  • 3:17 - 3:19
    Be aware of plain language like
  • 3:19 - 3:22
    one hundred percent Earth friendly, or
  • 3:22 - 3:24
    completely sustainable. If it sounds too
  • 3:24 - 3:26
    good to be true, probably is.
  • 3:26 - 3:28
    Make sure that this clear marketing
  • 3:28 - 3:30
    when referring to eco claims.
  • 3:30 - 3:31
    When looking at a product
  • 3:31 - 3:33
    marketing should tell you
    if the packaging
  • 3:33 - 3:36
    or the product, or both are sustainable.
  • 3:36 - 3:37
    And lastly, do your best.
  • 3:37 - 3:40
    In an age of fast paced information
  • 3:40 - 3:42
    updates and a changing sustainability
  • 3:42 - 3:44
    landscape, it's truly difficult to know
  • 3:44 - 3:45
    whether or not you are making a
  • 3:45 - 3:47
    right decision as a customer
  • 3:47 - 3:49
    But remember these large companies that
  • 3:49 - 3:51
    need to change and that the load of the
  • 3:51 - 3:52
    world is not on your shoulders but
  • 3:52 - 3:54
    your choices do have an impact.
  • 3:54 - 3:56
    These companies listen to the market
  • 3:56 - 3:58
    and they listen to the consumer.
  • 3:58 - 3:59
    Every day, we have lots and lots of
  • 3:59 - 4:00
    decisions that we make.
  • 4:00 - 4:02
    That means we have lots and lots of
  • 4:02 - 4:04
    opportunities to make sustainable
  • 4:04 - 4:05
    decisions.
  • 4:05 - 4:08
    So stick in there. You're not alone
  • 4:08 - 4:09
    because we are in this together.
  • 4:11 - 4:12
    Thanks for watching
  • 4:12 - 4:13
    and if you're a little curious
  • 4:13 - 4:15
    and you want to know more about
  • 4:15 - 4:16
    greenwashing, go to the link
  • 4:16 - 4:18
    in our bio and also go to our website
  • 4:18 - 4:21
    sustainable-earth.org to be up to date
  • 4:21 - 4:23
    on all things sustainability.
Title:
What is Greenwashing? | Sustainable Explainable
Description:

more » « less
Video Language:
English
Team:
Amplifying Voices
Project:
Greenwashing
Duration:
04:27
mg edited English subtitles for What is Greenwashing? | Sustainable Explainable Sep 19, 2023, 4:56 PM
LuizaLeonel edited English subtitles for What is Greenwashing? | Sustainable Explainable Aug 15, 2023, 2:30 AM
LuizaLeonel edited English subtitles for What is Greenwashing? | Sustainable Explainable Aug 15, 2023, 1:39 AM
LuizaLeonel edited English subtitles for What is Greenwashing? | Sustainable Explainable Aug 11, 2023, 5:51 PM
LuizaLeonel edited English subtitles for What is Greenwashing? | Sustainable Explainable Aug 11, 2023, 4:34 PM

English subtitles

Revisions Compare revisions