How to Avoid Unintentional Greenwashing in Your Marketing
Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the damage everyday products are having on our planet. This is causing a growing demand for sustainable products. And with it, misleading advertising and greenwashing are on the rise too.
Why? Because with a higher demand for eco-friendly goods, some businesses are going the extra mile to market themselves as “sustainable, eco, or green”. But they aren’t.
In the United States and Canada, 70% of consumers think it’s important that products are eco-friendly or sustainable. ¹
But 98% of products advertised as “green” or “sustainable” are greenwashing—and getting away with it. ²
Good news is, consumers are getting smarter every day. Fooling people with false sustainable claims is becoming harder and harder. In this blog, I'll walk you through what greenwashing is, how to spot it, and how to avoid unintentional greenwashing when promoting your sustainable products.
What is Greenwashing?
The term was created in the 1980s by Jay Westerveld, an environmental activist.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of greenwashing is “Behavior or activities that make people believe that a company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is”
This means companies are putting lots of money and effort into appearing sustainable or eco-friendly. But they don’t invest anything into actually being sustainable. Greenwashing companies use misleading marketing campaigns, deceitful branding, and fake advertising to lure conscious consumers into buying their products.
And it works.
These practices not only affect customers but also hurt companies with real sustainable efforts. Consumers lose trust in businesses. They become skeptical about sustainable claims and practices.
Thankfully, now there’s more information on this topic, and greenwashing companies are being called out. Their misleading actions are being noted and their reputation is crumbling down. But this doesn’t mean they’ll stop. Corporate greenwashing at scale has been happening for many years and without any real consequences.
A great example of greenwashing is Exxon. The oil giant spends millions on marketing to shift the blame of plastic pollution to consumers. They push things like “personal responsibility & recycling” but they’re the ones producing millions of tons of single-use plastic. And they’re not recycling it. But their ads focus on blaming you for the plastic waste and pollution.
How to Spot Greenwashing
Being eco-conscious sells, and companies know it. That’s why they use false advertising. People are willing to pay more for sustainable products and by claiming to be “green”, companies can jack up their prices and boost their sales. ³
Greenwashing happens in every industry—gas and oil, meat packing, cleaning supplies, etc. And here’s how you can find out if a company is being sustainable, or if it’s just false advertising…
1. Pay attention to their branding.
The way a company brands its products is one of the easiest ways to spot greenwashing. Words like “green” or “natural” are often used to mislead customers. There are no laws keeping companies from using these words—even if the product is far from natural or sustainable.
Some companies use green colors and images of plants or farms to confuse consumers. This branding is misleading and makes customers believe they’re making smarter decisions.
They also use vague claims that have no real meaning like “farm fresh”, “sourced naturally” or “clean & pure”. Self-given labels mean nothing. Third-party trustworthy certifications do. Always check for real certifications before buying a product.
2. Read labels
A product might claim to be “100% natural”, with earthy colors and green branding, but the ingredients never lie. Scan the label to see if the product is using harmful chemicals, conservatives, etc.
You learn a lot from a brand by knowing about the ingredients they use in their products. If you see ingredients you’re not familiar with, research them.
3. Look for certifications
Companies can claim to be sustainable with deceitful branding, and get away with it. But most sustainable businesses have a third-party certification proving their efforts.
They usually showcase these certifications in the package, so they’re easy to spot. These are a few trustworthy seals:
Certified B Corporation
Cruelty-Free International
1% for the Planet
Certified Carbon Neutral.
Forest Stewardship Council Labels.
Rainforest Alliance Certified
Non-GMO Project
Green Seal Certified
Fair Trade Certificate
USDA Organic
There are also seals you should beware of. These seals tend to be misleading:
100% Natural
No artificial ingredients
Bio
Non-toxic
Eco
Green
Hormone-free
4. Do research on brands
Most greenwashing brands claim to be sustainable but have no information to back those claims. Go on the company’s website and see how they’re addressing sustainability.
Do they provide information on their sustainable practices? Are they transparent about their accomplishments and things they’re working on? Do they address sustainability in all areas?
Some companies do one little sustainable effort and use it for marketing purposes. Although all efforts are a step forward, they fail to mention huge trade-offs.
A clear example of this is when a bottled water brand claimed to reduce the size of its cap to reduce plastic use. They branded their bottles with “green” labels and said to be “sustainable”. Maybe the plastic usage is lower but they’re still producing millions of single-use plastic bottles and causing our oceans and landfills to overflow with plastic pollution.
In reality, reducing the size of the cap saves them lots of money. Their wallets get bigger while greenwashing and making customers believe they care about plastic pollution.
Take action! Sign the petition to make America’s National Parks plastic-free here.
5. Don’t get fooled by donations to non-profits
Some pollutant companies like to greenwash by partnering up with non-profit organizations. Then they claim to care about sustainability—while polluting our planet.
A great example of this is Coca-Cola. They’re the main plastic polluter company in the world producing a whopping 3 million tons of single-use plastic a year. For their greenwashing efforts, they partner up with World Wild Life (WWF) and ironically, claim to help conserve freshwater.
But our oceans, rivers, and waterways are still drowning in plastic soda bottles. And pollution continues to grow every single year. Yet, they refuse to get rid of them because “people want the plastic bottle”. So they donate a tiny fraction of their money to non-profits, make sure to do heavy marketing on it, and continue to pollute our planet.
Take action! Sign the petition to ask Coca-Cola to stop using single-use plastics here.
How to Avoid Unintentional Greenwashing When Promoting Your Sustainable Products
The way a brand communicates its green practices is important. Your company might have sustainable practices but if you don’t deliver the information the right way, it can backfire. You can greenwash by accident.
When marketing sustainable products, the way you communicate them is key to avoiding misunderstandings that could hurt your brand’s reputation.
These are three things you can do to avoid unintentional greenwashing:
Be honest and transparent.
Being honest about what you’re doing now and what you plan on doing in the future is essential. Instead of trying to be a ‘perfect’ sustainable business, be open about your current efforts. Tell your audience what steps you’re taking to keep your products as sustainable as possible. And also share what things you haven’t been able to achieve but you’re actively working on.
In an unsustainable world, being a sustainable business is hard. It’s OK if it takes time. Just make sure you’re communicating it.
2. Under-promise and over-deliver.
These are your best friends when communicating your brand’s sustainable efforts. Saying your products are 100% plastic-free is easy… actually doing it can be a challenge. And if you’re claiming “no plastic” and someone gets their product delivered with plastic wrapping, you’re compromising your reputation and possibly getting really bad reviews.
So instead of over-promising, tell them exactly what they’re getting. And once you’re able to deliver on the highest standards, then say so. It’s always better to be surprised by good sustainable efforts than disappointed by unrealistic claims.
3. You must sustain every green claim you make.
Provide clear information on what you're doing and how. If you have a sustainable fashion brand and claim to have “sustainably sourced materials” provide info about it. Where do you get them? What processes are used to treat the fabrics? What chemicals are used? Are workers getting paid fairly?
Nonsustained claims, even if they are true, can be interpreted as greenwashing. True sustainable efforts take place inside a company, not on their marketing. Focus on the basics of sustainability first. Then, you can focus on marketing.
The best way to sustain your sustainable claims is through third-party certifications. Plus, they act as an accountability buddy for your sustainable practices. Nothing says “sustainably sourced” better than a trustworthy certification that proves it. Avoid using self-granted seals—even if your business is truly green.
The best way to gain your audience’s trust is accountability.
Before sharing how sustainable your brand is, figure out your carbon footprint and the real impact your products have on the whole supply chain. This information is key to knowing how sustainable your product really is and where improvement is needed.
Sustainable Copywriting for your Eco-Conscious Business
If you’re ready to turn your brand’s messaging into a sustainable powerhouse—get in touch!