Greenwashing is the act of portraying a product, service or company as more environmentally friendly than it is. It is essentially a lie set out by companies to incentivize and promote their product, and avoid appearing destructive to the environment.
But as consumers like you and I know, there is more to it than meets the eye. While we could go on and on about the impact of business deception, it is our responsibility as consumers to pay attention to what we purchase. We are responsible for purchasing a product and using it. We have to learn how to avoid encouraging this sort of scam if we are to continue to live a more informed and environmentally friendly life, so here’s some tips on how to start!
Greenwashing starts right when the product’s labels are formed, and if we wish to avoid greenwashing, we must identify it first. You will fall victim to being greenwashed right when you purchase a product, so before doing so, there are some steps we must take.
Some things to think about are the labeling and evidence, looking at specificity, validation through third-party organizations and the lifecycle of the product.
Identifying greenwashing starts with conducting research about the product. This can be done by observing the label on the product, observing the company’s website and looking for specific descriptions about the product’s environmental standards, avoiding buzzwords like “eco-friendly,” “natural” and “pure.” Then, examine the presence of third-party labels from impartial organizations like Cradle to Cradle, EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan Ecolabel and Green Seal, as they are highly trusted independent certifications. Finally, assess the lifecycle of the product from the moment its materials are extracted to the disposal of the product.
We have more power than we think. We can blame companies and businesses for their environmental damage, misuse and fraud, but as consumers, we are the ones purchasing those environmentally-harmful products and provide fraudulent businesses with the money to fund it. We have the power to choose, even when it seems like we do not. We must learn how to avoid greenwashing if we are to continue to live our lives the way that we want.
