Editorial: Greenwashing is a dangerous practice Walking through your local convenience store, you see a new version of your favorite skincare item. The packaging is all green, and it is plastered with the words “New and eco-friendly!” Sure, it may be a little pricier, but you pick it up and buy it for the satisfaction of making a more sustainable shopping choice. Yet all too often, “eco-friendly” skincare items are no less sustainable than their counterparts. Despite seeminglysustainable labels, skincare products are usually packaged with the same plastic material and filled with toxic ingredients that endanger the environment, including exfoliating microbeads and triclosan. This phenomenon is called “greenwashing,” where a company gives a false impression that their products are more environmentally-friendly than the typical product line. Greenwashing employs a deceitful advertising technique that persuades consumers to buy unsustainable products hidden behind “green” packaging. According to Sea Going Green, “The central danger in greenwashing is that it can mislead people into acting unsustainably.” Greenwashing effectively persuades consumers that a particular company is more environmentally-friendly than others, even when brands uphold unsustainable practices such as animal testing and packing products with harmful preservatives. According to earth.org, a prime instance of corporate greenwashing was when Volkswagen admitted altering their emissions tests to make it seem as though their vehicles had eco-friendly aspects. In reality, their cars were emitting nitrogen oxide pollutants up to 40 times the allowed limit. This practice can also be seen through major plastic
water bottle brands like Fiji and Arrowhead, which often cover their packaging with images of nature and give a false idea that the company is more “eco-friendly.” Yet behind their advertising, their one-use plastic bottles are just as wasteful as the next. Supported by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a peer-reviewed journal called Environmental Health Perspectives laid out signs of greenwashing. Some primary marketing techniques include vaguely defined claims such as “all-natural” and “plantbased.” General terms and flowery language may appeal to those seeking sustainable products, but they rarely mean that the brand is more environmentally friendly in practice. Instead of purchasing a more “green” product based on its face-value branding, a quick evaluation is a much more effective technique to determine sustainability levels. Researching questions about a company’s manufacturing claims and ingredient information of certain products can reveal the truth behind a company’s sustainability claims. Shopping with intention also goes a long way—if you research products before you go into the store and avoid excessive packaging, it can become easier to avoid greenwashed products. Evaluating the sustainability of a product must not be left up to its own company; instead, look for reliable third-party labels. Green certifications from non-profit organizations such as Green Seal and Rainforest Alliance clearly define the sustainability of certain products. Ultimately, greenwashing capitalizes on shoppers even if they are conscious of their environmental footprint. As consumers, we must hold corporations accountable to produce sustainable products and be transparent with their business practices.
46 HIGHLANDER OPINION
