From lush green packaging imagery to the overuse of vague terminology, greenwashing has taken on many forms over the past few decades.

 

With increased awareness of the environmental crisis growing in recent years, many brands and products have overtly splashed green on their marketing schemes to appear environmentally friendly, in order to increase consumer trust and, at the end of the day, make more money.

 

But how can we separate fact from fiction, and what should we do when we’re faced with suspicious claims? Here’s our quick guide on what to look out for.

The term ‘greenwashing’ was first coined in the 1980s by American environmentalist Jay Westerveld as a literal, tongue-in-cheek response to the ‘save the towel’ movement happening in hotels. While hotels requested guests to lower their towel use to save water, Jay discovered that their ask was simply to reduce laundry costs – a misleading message as noted in his 1986 critical essay¹.

 

The term became widespread in popular culture in later years and is still used today to describe a distortion of information that presents itself to be environmentally friendly.

There is a myriad of ways companies can greenwash their products, but here are just a few to look out for:

1. Vague language

Whenever you come across a product marketing itself with vague terminology like all-natural or eco-friendly, don’t take it as face value. The same goes for broad and poorly defined claims, like “better for the planet”, or “saving the environment”. If the company doesn’t verify their claims with science-backed evidence, it might suggest that there’s something fishy going on.

2. Misleading symbols

This one can be a little more subtle. How many times have you seen a pair of leaves, cupped hands (maybe even with a little plant growing in them) or water droplets? While these symbols are remotely associated with the environment, they don’t necessarily benefit it. These symbols simply appeal to us through correlation, and we’re the ones who form the connection ourselves – sometimes unconsciously.

3. Dubious certifications and labelling
 

In a similar vein to misleading symbols, images like gold stars, green ticks or official-looking certificates can often misrepresent the product’s actual impact on the environment.

 

With these in mind, there’s a simple way we can get around greenwashing – do your research. As simple as it sounds, how many times have you fact-checked a claim from a label or online advertisement before adding the item to your cart?

 

The next time you’re confronted with a product or company claiming to benefit the environment, spend a few extra minutes fact-checking their claim, so you can rest assured that you’re truly supporting the environment with your actions.

Accredited certifications have fairly robust requirements². We’ve collated a few tips and tricks below to help you differentiate which certifications are genuine, and which ones are bogus.

 

Here’s a list of certifications you can trust – chances are, you’ve seen some of them either in a physical store or online.