While the term “green washing” may sound eco-friendly (the first thing I always think of is washing my clothing or dishes using green products), it is actually a expression used as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”
According to Seventh Generation (c/o writer Gary Hirshberg) here are the six sins of Greenwashing:
1) The Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off. This occurs when a product claims it is green because it has a single environmental characteristic that ignores other impacts it may have. For example, a paper product may label itself “green” because it is made from recycled content. But if that paper is bleached with toxic chlorine, it doesn’t represent a true green option.
2) The Sin of No Proof. This is an environmental claim that can’t be proven by easily accessible information on the label or the company’s website, or by third-party certification. Because green labeling is largely unregulated, a company can say it’s products are green in almost any way without having to provide any evidence that such claims are true.
3) The Sin of Vagueness. This happens when a product makes an environmental claim that’s so poorly defined or overly broad as to be easily misunderstood by or essentially meaningless to consumers. For example, terms like “natural” and “environmentally-friendly” have no regulated definition and so can (and often do!) mean anything in the hands of marketers.
4) The Sin of Irrelevance. This occurs when a product makes an environmental claim that’s true but not very important and is therefore unhelpful if not distracting to consumers legitimately seeking the greenest option. According to TerraChoice, the most frequent example of irrelevance is the “CFC-free” label which refers to the lack of ozone layer-depleting chemicals in a product. The claim is true but also a bit disingenuous because CFCs have been banned in all products for decades.
5) Sin of Lesser of Two Evils. This is a claim that’s true but ignores other more serious environmental impacts. For example, organic cigarettes may be made from tobacco grown without pesticides, but they’re still cigarettes! TerraChoice says it considers a product to commit this sin when environmental claims like “organic” or “green” are applied to products whose basic product category is one of questionable overall environmental performance or value.
6) The Sin of Fibbing. Here’s the last and worst of all: Making a claim that’s just not true. While few products dare to go this far, they’re out there as evidenced by shampoo labels claiming certified organic status without a shred of proof and the household caulk claiming to be an official Energy Star product despite contrary information found on the official Energy Star website.
So - be on the lookout for these “sins” of greenwashing - now that you’re educated go forth and shop smart!
