As mainstream green consumerism takes root, it’s time to ask what is really green and what is just pretence. Here’s a beginner’s guide to greenwashing, and how to avoid it.
Inspired by the touching green message of James Cameron’s Avatar, you dream at night about rescuing the earth from impending doom. At the unwelcome trill of the alarm, you slip out of your hemp fiber sheets with a firm resolve. A quick shower later – with organic bath gel in the water-conserving shower – you slip into organic cotton jeans and a biodegradable knit shirt, and dash into your modern kitchen made with reclaimed wood. Sipping the last dregs of your green tea, you slip behind the wheel of your hybrid, and drive to your green office that relies almost totally on natural lighting, yet is fitted with photovoltaic solar panels and water recycling systems. And, as you power your energy-efficient laptop, you stop for a moment to ponder.
Are you saving the earth, making a style statement, or both? With some 35 million Americans regularly buying products that claim to be earth-friendly – including everything from organic beeswax lipstick from the west Zambian rain forest to Toyota Priuses – you could say that the green movement has truly become mainstream in the US. And, as mainstream green consumerism takes root here as well, it may just be the right time to ponder.
When everyone jumps onto the green bandwagon, the line between what is really ‘green’ and what is just pretence often begins to blur. ‘Green’ products and marketing claims begin to increase exponentially, often across product categories. And, lurking dangerously among them, are a host of false and/or misleading claims that threaten to reach a tipping point if not nipped in the bud right away.
Greenwashing manifests itself in a number of ways, and TerraChoice have done well to document at least seven clearly identifiable forms. Termed ‘The Sins of Greenwashing,’ they shed light on what could soon happen in the Indian market if overzealous, and sometimes unscrupulous marketers are left to run on their own.
For instance, how often have you encountered the words ‘natural’, ‘organic’ or ‘green’ appended, often meaninglessly, to almost anything from cat-food to cars? However, the prize for committing the “Sin of Irrelevance” must surely go to Tesco, the UK’s largest food retailer, for publishing a ‘Green Issue’ of their regular magazine in which they advocated preparing foods from scratch, and taking holidays in the UK rather than traveling abroad so as to curtail fuel emissions.
Similarly, why should the mention of the dwindling number of Indian tigers in itself suggest an environmentally aware telecom service-provider, as in the recent Aircel campaign? Though relatively new in India, ‘green’ advertising is picking up fast. It is already getting hard to avoid the ‘green’ trumpet in advertisements across categories, including food, toiletries, cosmetics, automobiles, and real estate. And if, like me, you have felt uncomfortable about how to make fair judgments about ‘green’ claims, the ‘Sins’ should surely come in handy.
Is greenwashing just an ethical advertising issue? Terrachoice points out that greenwashing has serious implications. By misleading well-intentioned consumers into making purchases that do not deliver on their environmental promise, not only does the individual consumer get misled but the potential environmental benefit of his or her purchase also gets squandered. On the other hand, competitive pressure from such illegitimate environmental claims takes market share away from products that offer more legitimate benefits, thus slowing the penetration of real environmental innovation in the marketplace. Thus, greenwashing may create cynicism and doubt about all environmental claims. Consumers – particularly those who care most about real environmental progress – may give up on marketers and manufacturers, and surrender all hopes that their spending might be put to good use.
So, how can we avoid falling into the greenwashing trap?
For starters, Terrachoice encourages us to look for Eco Labels. Eco-labelling – standardized by ISO 14024 and recognized around the world – arose as an answer to earlier efforts at greenwashing. When seeking environmentally preferable products. it’s important to look at multiple environmental considerations rather than merely at single environmental issues. For instance, when attempting to identify healthier food choices, it can be useful to look not just at their calorie content but to also examine their fat, sugar, and vitamin content.
The next step would be to look for evidence of any of the ‘Six Sins’ of Greenwashing by asking the following questions:
a) Is the ‘green’ claim restricted to just one, or a narrow set of environmental issues? (The Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off) Emphasizing one environmental issue is not in itself a problem; hiding a trade-off between environmental issues is.
b) Does the claim help me find more information and evidence? (The Sin of No Proof) It may not be reasonable to expect a product label or a point-of-purchase flyer to provide detailed scientific explanations of a ‘green’ claim. However, it is reasonable to expect it to direct you to where you can find further evidence.
c) Is the environmental and scientific meaning of the claim specific and self-evident? If not, is the specific meaning given? (The Sin of Vagueness) Products with names like ‘ecogadget’ and ‘natur-widget’ are not necessarily making false or misleading claims; however, they should cause you to become suspicious.
d) Could all of the other products in this category make the same claim? (The Sin of Irrelevance) Ask yourself if the claim is important and relevant to the product: thus, if a light bulb claims water efficiency benefits, you should immediately become suspicious.
e) When I check up on it, is the claim true? (The Sin of Fibbing) This sin can be difficult to detect.
f) Is the claim trying to make consumers feel ‘green’ about a product category that is of questionable environmental benefit? (The Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils) Consumers concerned about the adverse effects of tobacco and cigarettes would be better served by quitting smoking than by buying organic cigarettes.
Thus, keep your antenna alert, and protect yourself from greenwashing! Ultimately, however, going green is perhaps not just about looking for legitimately green products, but also about curtailing consumption.
Now that’s certainly something to ponder about!
Courtesy: Greenlife Magazine
