Your Favourite Brands are Greenwashing

Just because a brand advertises and markets their products to be "eco-friendly" doesn't necessarily mean we should believe them. Do they have proof to back up these claims are are they misleading you to make their products more appealing?

You may have heard the term greenwashing thrown around here and there or in a news article but might not know what it means, so let’s start with a definition.

“Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression of providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound. Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly”( Kenton, 2021).

So how do you know that companies are greenwashing? Listed below are a few ways that companies are greenwashing, and misleading consumers: (Assoune, 2020)

1. Claiming a product is green by narrowing a set of attributes and hiding the rest

2. Committing to environmental protection without the proof to back it up

3. Using unverified labels

Picking out greenwashing can be tricky as companies advertising can be quite deceiving. Companies may be advertising and preaching that their products are of a high standard environmentally, but they are trying to mask what really goes on behind closed doors and the materials they are actually using. Unfortunately, some companies tend to make false claims to make the production of their products seem much more environmentally friendly than they actually are in reality.

Below are a few companies that have been accused of greenwashing in the past: (Assoune, 2020)

1. H&M with their circulose fabric

2. Boohoo with their wool coats

3. ASOS with their “responsible edit”

4. Zara with their vague sustainability claims

The biggest way we as consumers can help make a difference and hold companies accountable is through education. Educating yourself on greenwashing and how to pick out companies that are greenwashing. The companies that are constantly advertising and making claims that their products are environmentally sound, but do not have the proof to back up it, are usually the ones that are greenwashing. Through research, consumers can start to distinguish which companies are actually practicing what they preach, and which companies are greenwashing to cover up unsustainable practices, making consumers think their products are better than they are.

Greenwashing is more prevalent than you may think, so it's really important to start being consciously aware when shopping and reading the labels of different products. Doing a quick search to validate the claims companies are making can be a great way to quickly ensure a company isn't greenwashing. Claims that tend to be deceptive and are potentially prone to greenwashing are words such as eco-friendly, green, organic, reduced emissions, plant-based, and natural just to name a few.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check back for new posts on how to be Sustainably Styled!

References

Assoune, A. (2020). Fast Fashion Brands accused of Greenwashing. Panaprium. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/fast-fashion-brands-accused-of-greenwashing.

Kenton, W. (2021). What you should know about greenwashing. Investopedia. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/greenwashing.asp.