Companies Going Green? Or "Greenwashing"
When companies use misleading marketing campaigns or make false claims about their products and how they will impact the environment, it is called "greenwashing". While many companies are genuinely trying to be environmentally responsible, others are taking advantage of the green movement and falsely representing their involvement in making the world a greener place.
Greenwashing Tactics
Going green is a movement that encompasses many different things, including clothing, food, building products, and energy saving products. The demand for green products is high and for businesses that participate in selling them, they represent a huge income opportunity.
While trying to cash in on the green movement, companies design misleading advertising campaigns that falsely promote their environmental responsibility. Greenwashing practises are most common in industries that are environmentally controversial such as oil companies and car manufacturers. In an effort to convince the buying public that they have an interest in environmental issues, they develop ambiguous advertising promotions and product labeling.
FTC Guidelines
The money that these companies spend on their greenwashing campaigns could have gone toward actually making their business more environmentally friendly. These unethical practices make it more difficult for consumers to tell the difference between truthful advertising and greenwashing campaigns.
In an ongoing effort to combat greenwashing, the FTC has set forth certain guidelines. They call for more clarity in the claims that businesses make. Claims cannot deceive the consumer and it should be clear whether the claims refer to the product itself, its packing, or the service the product provides. They also require that the claim accurately represents the products environmental attributes. Also, any comparisons made by the company need to be substantiated.
Stop greenwashing is a website set up by Greenpeace in an effort to combat the problem. The site provides consumers with information on greenwashing and holds businesses that use the practice accountable for their actions.
Green Links
- Shoppers need clear labels to put a stop to \'greenwash\' | Politics | The Guardian
Universal scheme should be introduced to clampdown on companies exaggerating environmental credentials - Greenpeace | Greenwashing
Every day, Americans are bombarded with advertising about environmentally friendly goods and services.