The problem with sustainability is that nothing is standardized, and there are no regulations on the terms a company or brand is allowed to use. Hence, greenwashing has been on the rise. Greenwashing is when a company purposely conveys false information to make the consumers think that the company is sustainable. For example, when a fast fashion company brags about how many tons of clothes that they recycle but are actually producing more clothes than ever, that is greenwashing. This post is dedicated to how to spot greenwashing so you can make more informed choices as a consumer.
Common Misconceptions in Sustainability
We can’t start talking about how to identify greenwashing until we understand what sustainability means. To give you the SparkNotes version, sustainability is a three-pronged concept made up of the intersection of human rights, wildlife conservation, and environmental protection. Within each of these three topics, there are many more specific concerns that all have to do with sustainability.
For example, human rights can refer to ethical labor in fashion, but it can also refer to being able to provide clean drinking water for all. On the other hand, wildlife conservation may refer to ending hunting of wildlife or it can mean the cruelty-free beauty movement. Environmental protection touches upon everything from preventing trees being cut down in the Amazon rainforest to reducing plastic in the ocean.
The complexity of each of these three topics in sustainability is why there is no standardized meaning of sustainability.
It is also why everyone has a different definition of sustainability. When it comes to identifying greenwashing, the most important thing to remember is that companies take advantage of consumers being “uninformed”. My rule of thumb for greenwashing is that for a company to truly be sustainable, they need to consider all three aspects of sustainability: human rights concerns, animal protection, and the environmental impact.
Examples of Greenwashing
I find that the best way to learn how to better identify greenwashing is to learn from actual examples of greenwashing. Below is a list of five of the common greenwashing statements that I see and why they are false.
Made in the USA does not equal ethical labor
We love to think that being made in the USA means that it is ethical labor, but a lot of times, garment workers are still being taken advantage of. Being based in the States means that it is easier for business owners to keep their supply chain accountable, but it doesn’t always mean the labor is fair. This can refer to clothes made in the USA, food harvested in the USA, or any other consumer product made in the USA.
100% cotton does not mean it is sustainable
A marketing tactic on the rise recently is marketing a product as “100% cotton”. Producing cotton is a very water-intensive, and resource-heavy process, though many companies might state otherwise. The great news is that organic, sustainably made cotton that reduces water consumption and resource waste is indeed a sustainable alternative to traditional cotton. However, simply marketing a pair of sweats as 100% cotton doesn’t tell me whether the company is wasting water.
Creating a clothing line with recycled materials does not make a company sustainable.
A trend on the rise is fast fashion companies producing a “Conscious Collection”. I understand better than anyone why sometimes you need to wear fast fashion. When we just don’t have the money to spend on something more sustainable, fast fashion is the only choice. However, a fast fashion company such as H&M cannot create a “Conscious Collection” made of recycled materials and call themselves sustainable. The problem is that they are still creating more and more products than ever before. That is still contributing to waste, and no amount of recycled polyester dresses can make that process sustainable.
Similarly, I see many companies market themselves as a sustainable company when only one or two products are made sustainably. This is the biggest lie that companies tell consumers, and yet, it is a lie that I see all too often. Having one recycled polyester dress doesn’t mean that the other 100 virgin-polyester dresses are sustainable.
Vegan food is not always sustainable.
This will be a controversial statement, but vegan food is not always a more sustainable alternative. A great example of this is the Earth Balance vegan butter. The top ingredient in the Earth Balance butter is palm oil, a leading cause of deforestation. The common thinking would be that anything vegan will always be better than animal products. It may be true that the Earth Balance butter might be more environmentally friendly than cow’s butter, but it doesn’t mean that the Earth balance butter is entirely sustainable.
Not tested on animals is not the same thing as cruelty-free.
The definition of cruelty-free recently has been under debate. Some people see cruelty-free as simply meaning that a beauty product is not tested on animals and not sold in countries that require animal testing by law (i.e. China). Others take a different view and think that a beauty product has to be vegan, not tested on animals, and not sold in countries that require animal testing by law.
Many companies might go around the animal testing laws in China by stating that they’re in “special agreement” with the Chinese government, but the laws have not changed. At some point, while products are out on the Chinese market, they will require animal testing. Other companies might say they don’t test on animals except when required by law. This means they will sell in countries such as China and will comply with their animal testing rules. This is why where possible, I like to do my own research on what the full company statement is, and when in doubt, I look for the Leaping Bunny logo. I would avoid PETA’s cruelty-free certification as they cannot be trusted.
TLDR: Greenwashing feeds off of ignorance.
In the end, the best way to identify greenwashing is to keep educating ourselves every day. We won’t be perfect, and sometimes we’ll fall into a company’s tactics due to misinformation or fake news. That’s why companies spend millions of dollars on their marketing campaigns.
Sustainability is all about living harmoniously with the planet and within the resources we have. Companies can create all the marketing techniques they want, but so long as we remember this, we will always be a step ahead of companies who think greenwashing is the way to get around being responsible for their actions.
