Being truly sustainable is not as black and white (or green) as we might like to imagine it is. Life University’s (Life U) B.A. in Environment and Sustainability equips students to critically examine the 21st century’s pressing social and environmental problems with a holistic systems approach that considers the complex relationships between humans and their social, technological and ecological environments. A major hindrance that everyone faces to living a more sustainable lifestyle is a concept known as greenwashing, simply defined as misleading the public to think that a company or other party is more environmentally friendly that it is.

The United Nations details the many dark deceptions that can be considered greenwashing in their article, “Greenwashing – the deceptive tactics behind environmental claims.” Think about some of your favorite brands, especially those that make public statements promoting green or sustainable practices. In some cases, companies can be using your desire to protect Mother Earth as a manipulation ploy to get you to buy their product rather than offering better options in reality.

Here are some red flags to look out for:

  • Anyone can slap a “green” or “eco-friendly” label on anything. Theoretically, someone could call a Styrofoam cup green for using 1% less Styrofoam, but that wouldn’t make it so. At least in this point in time, there is no true standard for what these lofty terms mean, so they are easily misinterpreted and misconstrued.
  • Similarly, companies can make a minor improvement and oversell its impact, or else claim that by meeting standard regulatory requirements that their product magically is kinder to the earth than other products on the market.
  • Transparency is the name of the game. When a company is overly secretive or non-specific about its operations or materials, there is probably something going on behind closed doors that doesn’t line up with an image of environmental efficacy or corporate responsibility.
  • Beware of the overemphasis of one aspect of environmental improvement while ignoring or distracting from other less gratifying impacts.
  • A supposedly sustainable product cannot be taken at face value and in isolation, meaning that it is all well and good to make a shirt out of recyclable materials, but if the factory that makes it is a power-sucker or a major polluter, then the value of that environmental positive is negated.
  • Net zero is a big buzz word when it comes to discussions about a corporate footprint. In theory, it means that they are working to reduce their emissions while simultaneously contributing to environmental efforts; therefore, the company’s total pollution would in essence be canceled out, hence net zero. It’s a lovely idea, but one that has been used in big business public relations talks and climate change forums so frequently that it often has no meaning other than being a nice thing to say that people want to hear. A company must detail specific actionable plans to reach that point or else it is greenwashing hogwash.

In a capitalist country in love with free enterprise, we as the public vote with our dollars on what we want to see come out of businesses and organizations, as well as what will be tolerated.

Greenwashing from Big Companies

There are many modern examples of greenwashing, but let’s look at some of the biggest offenders that you have probably heard about. Coca-Cola, a Georgia hometown favorite, announced in 2020 that they would not redirect from plastic bottle use but instead highly emphasize that their bottles are 100% recyclable. This is problematic, to say the least, given that only 9% of all global plastic is recycled, according to studies published by The Economist. In general, environmentalists maintain that single-use plastics are a major environmental strain, regardless of their recyclability.

Similarly, remember that viral video of the poor turtle with the plastic straw stuck in his nose? This ignited a massive, though short lived, boycott on single use plastic straws, though it did draw attention to possible positive alternatives like metal straws that are reusable. Starbucks capitalized on this trend and even created a “straw-less lid” to get rid of straws, but the lid actually used more plastic than the previous lid and straw ever did. It was a classic case of attempting to appear eco-friendly without any critical thought to what the impact actually was.

One more example is BP’s new name of Beyond Petroleum. They’ve made a flashy push showcasing solar panels on their gas stations and other minor improvements, yet 96% of its business still focuses on oil and gas. Greenwashing isn’t always easy to spot, so as a consumer, it can get rather daunting. How can we make any positive impact in all of this or at least mitigate our harm?

Take off your greenwashed glasses

It’s a steep learning curve as a general customer to understand the tactics of greenwashing, to identify what is sustainable and what isn’t. Whenever possible, take a moment to research and select products from companies that use resources responsibly and make a true effort to cutting emissions and waste. Keep in mind that often truly sustainable options come at a higher price range, so that is something to be aware of.

The UN has a number of climate and sustainability initiatives that list good places to start, such as the UNFCCC’s Race to Zero or Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, and the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, among others. Fashion, in general, is a huge area rife with greenwashing tactics. With a little effort, however, it is one aspect of daily living in which the public can make sizeable strides. Our previous article “Thrifting: Kinder to the Planet and Your Wallet” goes into more detail about this topic.

The fashion dilemma is a good example of the need to consider the lifecycle of the product you are purchasing. Ask questions, such as what it takes to gather the materials, to manufacture the product and to transport it? When the product arrives, how long will it be used for? How and where might it be disposed of? The general rule of thumb is to get away from single-use plastics and similar products, to recycle and reuse wherever possible. Make a point to use washable dishes instead of throw-away plates and to bring reusable bags to the grocery store instead of building up a collection of plastic baggies. Upcycling has also become a creative and practical way to give new life to items that would otherwise end up in landfills, essentially creating a new or revitalized item from the original.

Lastly, it is time to demand transparency and accountability from the companies we buy from and rely on daily. Healing the planet is a team effort that requires everyone’s participation and support, from personal accountability to corporate policy. Unfortunately, the tide of climate change will not flow in a positive direction until large companies are forced to face their negative impact head on. Remember to vote with your dollars and in the ballot box for positive environmental change and protections.