Some big brands have been called out for greenwashing. What is it and how can companies avoid greenwashing in their marketing campaigns? Here are some greenwashing examples.
What is greenwashing?
First, what is greenwashing? The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “to make people believe that your company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.”
Sustainability is high on the agenda, so companies want to advertise any improvements they make. They need to be careful to avoid being called out for greenwashing.
Greenwashing examples
There are a few different types of greenwashing examples, including:.
- Companies which use sustainable terms because these words look good in advertising.
- Companies that highlight only positive changes. Especially if they keep quiet about an aspect of their business that is not good for the environment.
- Companies that design a label that makes it look like the product is safe or healthy, even if it is not.
Some companies are making great efforts to improve their product offering so that it aligns with sustainable business practices. But there is a cost attached to making these types of changes. And businesses are not perfect. Most of them are working on ways to be more sustainable. They are still in the process.
So how can businesses avoid being called out as greenwashing examples?
How can companies avoid greenwashing in their marketing campaigns
Companies who don’t want to become greenwashing examples need to be transparent about their business from sourcing through production to marketing, sales and the eventual delivery. This is difficult in a competitive marketplace but there are businesses showing that it can be done.
If a company wants to use terms like ‘eco-friendly’, ‘non-toxic’, ‘sustainable’, etc they need to qualify it. Ideally, this should come from a certification that independently assesses the production processes.
The Cradle to Cradle certification that assesses factors material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship and social fairness across a product life cycle.
Rainforest Alliance Certification means a product respects three ‘pillars of sustainability’, social, economic and environmental.
B Corp certification measures a ‘company’s entire social and environmental impact’ and scores them. Companies have to score 80 or more to be accepted.
These kinds of certifications look at the full life cycle of products and services. Other certifications cover only one aspect of the business.
Fair Trade International provides a FLOCERT to businesses that practice fairness in procuring raw materials like coffee and cotton.
The Leaping Bunny label shows that a product hasn’t been tested on animals and that suppliers of individual ingredients have also not used animal testing practices.
Certifications like these cost time and money to implement. They may not be accessible for a small business.
If your company is unable to independently certify, the alternative is to be transparent and truthful about what you are (and are not) doing as a company to make your business more sustainable.
Companies are called out as greenwashing examples because they have made claims that they can’t justify. Be honest about your progress.
Sustainability for most businesses is a journey. We are on this journey with a community of UK companies. Join us today.
