Tim's Blog

The term greenwash is derived from whitewash, meaning to hide, cover or conceal. It is about recognising and identifying misleading claims that companies or enterprises make to try to cash in on a feel-good attitude without really changing their way of doing business.

How much effort should businesses make before they claim to be environmentally friendly or socially just? Is it fair to make an organic claim on a t-shirt that has only 5 percent organic cotton or pants that have 50 percent organic fibre but also contain spandex? I encourage manufacturers to use organic and fair trade ingredients but I think they should be open and honest about their complete impact and they should be scrutinised for their claims. Making a selling point from 5 percent organic content does not stack up in my view. Companies make greenwash claims in an attempt shift responsibility for environmental responsibility from them to us (in the best case) and to fool us (in the worst case). Greenwash is part of a revolution in green information rather than green practice. They have hijacked environmental claims in an attempt to hijack our dollars.

Aware consumers should thoroughly evaluate the environmental and social justice claims of manufacturers and service providers. Here are some suggestions on how to do just that.

1. Look for blurbs that make claims without any substantiating evidence, such as organic or fair trade with no certification.
2. Be alert for pseudo-scientific claims or new terminology for environmentally responsible behaviour. They are very likely intended to obfuscate or confound consumers.
3. Beware of environmental claims on products that are inevitably harmful such as fuel or cars.
4. Be suspicious of claims that are too easily made, such as on blogs or websites, but which offer no substantiation.