‘The What, Why, Where and How of Greenwashing

Presented by

Daragh Anglim

RealEyes Sustainability ltd

What is ‘Greenwashing?

• The deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company’s policies or products are environmentally friendly (wikipedia)

• Marketing strategies used by companies and advertisers to influence consumers into thinking the product and/or company is environmentally friendly

…But what is Green?

• How do we define…Green…Environmentally Friendly… Sustainable…

Retailers and Brands

• Increasingly retailers, brands and products are going ‘Green’

• Why?

• What’s driving it?

Spend on Green products

Greenwashing results 2010

http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/

Reality v Perception

Reality v Perception

Greenest Brands

Consumer demand

• Why are we demanding it?

• What’s driving the market?

• Guilt? Knowledge? Awareness? Fashion? Trends? Powerlessness? Make a difference

• What are we looking for?

The role of Eco Labels

• Information on products environmental impact

• Allow us to make an educated decision

• Only source of info at point of purchase

• A tool to help us decide

How to choose?

• How do we make our choice?

• What is our criteria?– Social, Environmental, Ethical, psychological?

• What’s important? What are we looking for?

• How do we evaluate what’s on the shelf?

Giving us what we want?

• What do we want?

• What are we Really looking for?

Certification to evaluate purchase?

Green Terms?

Choices, Choices

What do they all mean?

How to Identify Greenwashing

http://www.futerra.co.uk/downloads/Greenwash_Guide.pdf

The sins of Greenwashing

Group exercise

• Where’s the Greenwash in this ad?

• Spot the Sin(s)

Just not credible?

Fluffy Language

Irrelevant claims

Green Product v Green co?

Suggestive Pictures

Gobbledygook

Best in class

Green products v dirty co

Fluffy Language

Greenwashing results 2010

http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/

Greenwashing results 2010

http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/

Why do brands sin?

Forgive them for they know not what they do…?

• Naivety

• Sloppiness

• Opportunity/ Demand

• Mistake

• Lying

DEFRA Guidance for Marketing

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/documents/green-claims-guidance.PDF

How should we react?

• Punish and condemn?

• Scold but encourage?

• Celebrate the small wins?

• ‘Could do better’

Communicating with brands

• How do we engage with brands to stop Greenwashing?

• Channels - regulator, social media, directly…

• Criticism or constructive criticism

• Suggestions?

The power is in our hands

… and the responsibility?

Thank you

Daragh Anglim

Daragh@realeyes.ie

www.realeyes.ie