What is Greenwashing?

In short, greenwashing is false advertising. Greenwashing is advertising or promotions in which green marketing is deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization’s products, aims, and policies are environmentally friendly when they are not.

You can avoid buying products under false pretenses and misleading claims. The easiest rule, of course, is that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

“Companies often use greenwashing in their marketing to make consumers feel good by making them think less about where their products come from and how the products are disposed of.” -Jennie Romer¹

I don’t need to reinvent the wheel on greenwashing because there are already so many well-written articles and videos out there. I’ve compiled a list here and hope you find them helpful.

• • What is Greenwashing? How to Spot It and Stop It
  • 7 Tips to Avoid Greenwashing
  • Pitch Me Your Green Product, but Skip the Greenwash. Here’s How.
  • The troubling evolution of corporate greenwashing
  • What Is Greenwashing?

Here are just a few specific examples of Greenwashing:

 

• • Coca-Cola Company (KO) Busted For ‘Greenwashing’: PlantBottle Marketing Exaggerated Environmental Benefits, Says Consumer Report
  • Get Involved: Class Action Lawsuit Targets “Natural” Baby Wipes Claims
  • Plastic in Austin Hotels and Restaurants
  • Scotch Brite Scrubbers: Dishwashing or Greenwashing?
  • Are Plastic Ziploc Bags Suddenly Green or Greenwashed?
  • Big Meat: Fueling Change or Greenwashing Fuel? (this is a 10-year-old article but highly indicative of the hidden environmental problems in the meat industry.)

Footnote:

1. Book, Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics, by Jennie Romer, Penguin, New York, 2021.