Contributed by Melanie Manard

In recent years, consumers have become more aware about the environment. According to a Nielsen Media Research study, 66% are willing to pay more

for eco-friendly products and services. They are also eager to understand where a product comes from and its story.

Nowadays, brands experience increased pressure from both society and stakeholders. They need to create sustainable products and services with ethical processes. Shoppers vote with their dollars. Many prefer durable and eco-friendly brands. In 2019, HBR found that products marketed as “green” grow faster than those that were not.

Those pressures speed up the rise of a marketing strategy called greenwashing.

What is greenwashing?

In 2022, Volkswagen agreed to pay £193m to settle legal actions of the “Dieselgate ” in England and Wales. 7 years earlier, Volkswagen used devices to cheat emission tests. It made their cars appear less polluting.  According to the Guardian, Volkswagen has already spent $30bn on Dieselgate. It is the ultimate example of greenwashing.

In 1986, Jay Westerveld, an American environmentalist, invented the term greenwashing. It’s the act of using false or misleading information to make a product or company seem more sustainable than it is.

Brands practicing greenwashing spend a lot of money on marketing campaigns. They want to convince consumers of the “green” qualities of their products.

Most of the time, those companies focus on a small “green” aspect of their product or service. They choose to hide their other unsustainable practices.

Terra Choice identifies six sins of greenwashing that marketers use:

• hidden trade-off
• no proof
• vagueness
• irrelevance
• lesser of two evils
• fibbing

What is the issue with greenwashing?

Greenwashing misleads and confuses the consumer.

Those claims can be detrimental to the trust of consumers in sustainable labels. It creates a “green” skepticism as the reality is quite different from what some brands sell in their ads. For example, 91% of all the plastic ever made is not recycled according to National Geographic.

The profit intended for environmental causes never reaches its target.

Furthermore, greenwashing creates more competitive pressure for genuine sustainable companies. Sustainability and ethical practices are important for them. They help them distinguish themselves from the competition.

Our only defense is to learn to spot greenwashing and take steps to stop it.

How to stop greenwashing

A universal regulated standard

The lack of universal definitions and official frameworks creates a struggle. With no governmental regulation, brands can use terms such as green, clean, organic, conscious, and recyclable. Those terms can have broad meanings. Standards can help.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) regulates the use of environmental labeling. It establishes principles for sustainable labels and certifications under independent organizations.

The Advertising Standards Authority is a British institution. They published guidelines against misleading and false “green” claims and advertisements. The ASA cannot enforce the law but can refer to other bodies to take legal actions. Any citizen can file a complaint about some misleading or false advertisement.

Green certifications

It’s easy to understand why brands are spending so much money on advertising and marketing. They want their products to look eco-friendly.

To counter greenwashing practices, various independent organizations have created eco-friendly certifications. Sustainable certifications are voluntary standards for businesses. They help to measure and improve a company’s environmental and ethical performance.

Today, you can find green certifications for every industry. The companies certified sustainable have a competitive advantage. Independent organizations certify brands’ efforts to put in place durable processes and reduce their impact on the planet.

Green certifications help customers make better choices and lessen their environmental impact. Here are a few of them:

• Climate Neutral, certify carbon emissions,
• LEED, label for eco-friendly buildings and constructions,
• The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), certification for responsibly managed forests,
• Greenguard, certify low chemicals emission in a product,
• Certified B Corporation, label for social and environmental performance,
• Made Safe, certification for non-toxic products,
• Fair Trade, certify ethical working conditions,
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), label for organic textile,
• Oeko-Tex, certification for non-toxic products.

If you cannot find any official certification on the product you want to buy, try to be vigilant. For example: brands may use a green and suggestive image. But also buzzwords such as: ‘non-toxic,’ and ‘made with biodegradable/natural materials.” You should also watch out for irrelevant or vague statements.

[See also “What is greenwashing? Some clues and examples.”]

About the author:

Melanie Manard is the founder of The Conscious Insider, a digital platform for sustainable and ethical lifestyle. You can usually find her reading, cooking or riding her bike.