How to GreenwashBetter

Seth Bauer

How to Greenwash Better

Thoughts

For Companies

on the Verge of Doing the

Right Thing

What is Greenwashing?

“The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service”

What is Reporting on Greenwashing?

Ideally, investigative reporting that protects consumers from deceptive marketers.

What are the effects of such reporting?

1.  protects consumers from deceptive marketers

2. Inadvertently scares companies away from making any environmental claims whatsoever.

Who Greenwashes?

Research Report: TerraChoice Environmental Marketing identified 1,018 consumer products bearing 1,753 environmental claims.

Results: “6 Sins of GreenwashingTM”

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off 2. Sin of No Proof 3. Sin of Vagueness 4. Sin of Irrelevance 5. Sin of Fibbing 6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils

Take a Guess

Of the 1,018 products examined, how many did NOT make claims that the researchers felt were false or misleading?

Products analyzed

1,018

Green Claims

1,753

No False or Misleading Statements

1

We are all greenwashers

Concerned, Not Up in Arms

•  Cone study – 32% of Americans more interested

in the environment than 1 year ago – 91% have a more positive image of

a company if it’s environmentally friendly

Concerned, Not Up in Arms

– 85% would switch to another company’s products if they heard negative reports

•  But . . . – 47% purchased environmentally

friendly products/services

Lesson 1 We can’t all be worms

Everything we make uses resources and creates waste

Lesson 2 Hey, that thing moves

The green bar can be set at any height

Lesson 3 No matter how far you go

There’s always someone to your left

Takeaway 1 Greenwash Better

DON’T mislead consumers regarding the environmental practices of your company or the environmental benefits of your products

Takeaway 2 Greenwash Better

DON’T shy away from doing the right thing even if you can’t go all the way

Takeaway 3 Greenwash Better

DO recognize that for companies as for consumers, going green is a gradual process, not an all or nothing plunge.

Takeaway 4 Greenwash Better

DON’T disparage the competition for moving in the right direction. DO hold them to high standards for science and honesty.

Takeaway 5 Greenwash Better

DO help educate the consumer. Consumer’s Four Questions: 1.  What CAN I buy? 2.  What do I save? 3.  What else can I do? 4.  How important is this, really?

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