Green seems to be the new black. It seems as if every company and every product it produces wants to be seen as eco-friendly and green. Some products even claim to be new and improved, less toxic, etc. But, are they really?
Welcome to the world of greenwashing. Greenwashing is when a company or product says it’s green, but it’s not. Often, it’s just a ruse to get you to buy. Some products may make you think that by buying them, you are doing your part – helping prevent global warming, improving the quality of the air, saving wildlife and environments. But, some companies, either unintentionally or intentionally, are greenwashing you. Sometimes, a company does something green, then likes to exaggerate its green achievements in an effort to sell more of its product.
New York environmentalist Jay Westervelt coined the phrase “greenwashing” in 1986. He used it in an essay in which he talked about how hotels like to say they were helping save the environment by asking guests to reuse towels. Westervelt said that this practice actually didn’t help energy waste, but hotels used it to increase profits by appearing to be eco-friendly.
What are some examples of greenwashing? Kimberly Clark claimed their “Pure and Natural” diapers were green. The company did use organic cotton in the diaper but guess what else they used – the same petrochemical gel that other diapers used. Ubisoft announced it would no longer send out paper manuals with Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 because it was being environmentally friendly, but the move will actually save the company money. Some products just outright use green images on their packaging to make you think they are green.
Greenpeace has a web site (StopGreenwash.org) that monitors companies for deceptive campaigns that promise green without producing it. The organization is also pushing for advertising standards to prevent greenwashing in the future.