If you’re a newbie like me to connecting to the universe and being more ecofriendly then you’ve been green-washed before. It’s not a coincidence that the world is going green. Big brands know that everyone is watching more of what they do and their impact on the world so they’re trying to market to that. They’re marketing, but not going green, it’s just a marketing ploy. Today, I thought it would be helpful to show you guys what greenwashing is and how to spot it.
What is Greenwashing?
Ok, so let’s start it off with the basics, what is green fishing? According to Business News Daily Greenwashing is when a company or organization spends more on looking ecofriendly than actually being ecofriendly. Environmentalist Jay Westerveld coined the term in the late ’80s in an essay inspired by the ironic ‘save the towel’ towel movement when she picked up a card in a hotel asking her to reuse her towel to conserve water meanwhile the hotel’s waste so many resources in many different ways (source). Thus a new term in eco-activism was born!
How To Spot Greenwashing
So when you’re in the store shopping how do you spot greenwashing? Like what are the tell-tale signs so you know the product you’re getting isn’t harming the environment? Well, I’m here to tell you. The biggest way is to look for proof. Don’t be fooled by brown packing to make it look earth friendly or when a company puts a leaf on it and puts ‘eco’ into a word. There should be no vagueness in their message it should be clear and the company should stand firm in its beliefs. Also, a lot of it is common sense, for example, BIC razors tried to be eco-friendly with their disposable razors. The razors themselves are single-use and plastic no way is that sustainable. Lastly don’t believe everything you hear or see make the companies put their money where their mouth is just because they say they’re Energy star doesn’t mean they are, the same thing for cruelty-free most companies go through tests and certifications to become cruelty-free and their products state that.
All in all, just be careful. Be smart and look into the companies you’re supporting by researching because if we don’t hold the companies accountable no one will.
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