The History of Greenwashing and its Modern Evolution
Source: Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries
“Sustainable,” “eco-conscious,” and “ethical” are buzzwords commonly found in corporate marketing, and this is for a good reason: in a recent report by Greenprint, 73% of consumers consider a product’s environmental friendliness when making a purchase. With anxiety around climate change worsening, the average consumer is looking to buy from brands that they believe are environmentally conscious and actively trying to reduce their emissions footprint. The problem is, how do you know if a company is sustainable or just using a marketing tactic and the newest form of greenwashing?
Greenwashing was first coined in the 1980s by environmentalist Jay Westerveld. The term was in reference to a hotel policy about reusing towels in order to “save the environment,” but in reality, it was just a policy aimed at customers’ environmental sensibilities to reduce laundry costs. Recognizing greenwashing is important because otherwise, well-intentioned consumers could be misled to believe that they are making eco-conscious choices.
Identifying signs of greenwashing is necessary to navigating the current marketplace. With consumers’ demand for “green-commerce,” companies will continue to lean heavily on advertisements aimed toward sustainability. Here are two of the biggest tips to identify potential greenwashing practices:
Look for third-party certifications on products like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification for lumber practices, the Route to Net Zero Standard for carbon emissions, Green Seal for cleaning/household products, or the EPA Safer Choice certification rather than vague language like “made with natural/organic ingredients.”
Be wary of symbolic gestures. One example is Apple not shipping earbuds or wall chargers beginning with the release of the iPhone 12 in 2020, citing concerns about e-waste. Yet Apple’s main source of e-waste is through planned obsolescence – the practice of designing devices meant to have short life spans and be irreparable. Another example is Amazon naming the new arena in Seattle “Climate Pledge Arena” and promoting a net zero goal of 2040. Yet the net-zero target only applies to Amazon’s direct operations and does not include its supply chain, which contributes 75% of the company’s emissions.
However, not all companies are guilty of greenwashing, with many positively impacting the environment. Patagonia has a long-standing history of making its clothes mainly from recycled materials and donating extensive money to environmental non-profits. Recently, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, has been in the news for transferring the company’s ownership to a non-profit trust that will use the company’s profits (~$100 million / year) to combat climate change.