Greenwashing 101

I was recently assigned a task that required me to research brands that supported sustainable fashion. When I did my research, I discovered that brands were falsely claiming to value sustainability, which is how I came across the term greenwashing, or as you may know it, “green sheen”. 

So, exactly what is greenwashing?

When a business or organization spends more time and money promoting itself as sustainable than really reducing its environmental impact, this practice is known as "greenwashing." It's a dishonest marketing strategy designed to win over customers who support companies that care about the environment. The labeling of something as eco-friendly, sustainable, vegan, or green does not always imply that it is. Greenwashing can also refer to companies deflecting attention away from the environmental harm they cause or portraying themselves as allies in the fight for climate justice when they are not.

Consumers want to support businesses that share their values now more than ever. It only makes sense that climate-action-chic is the new generational trend because the goods and services we use almost all have an impact on the environment. Based on these trends, corporations are interested in marketing environmentally friendly products. Companies may label their products with ill-defined buzzwords such as eco-friendly, sustainable, green, clean, and so on. 

How can you tell if a company's eco-friendly claims are not genuine?

Greenwashing isn't always easy to spot. Greenwashing is a less visible technique in which businesses tout their greener products while doing little to break the cycle of overconsumption or change their operations in an environmentally friendly manner. Some brands promote the fast fashion model, which is unsustainable and one of the leading causes of climate change. It's critical that we take the time to consider how green the companies we buy from are and that we don't fall for marketing hype.

Fashion brands may promote clothing made of sustainable fabrics even if the majority of the clothing they produce is not. Companies frequently use words like "eco," "sustainable," and "green" to appear environmentally conscious - but they rarely use them in practice. Companies frequently emphasize positive environmental facts about their products while avoiding any mention of the negative. Greenwashing can sometimes be accomplished simply by marketing products. Look for goods with reliable third-party certifications, such as the Carbon Trust Standard, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and USDA certified organic (for verified CO2 emissions).

Environmental factors are taken into account by many businesses, and this is reflected in their advertising efforts. This practice is referred to as green marketing. Stay tuned to find out about green marketing.