Greenwashing: What it is, how to avoid it, and how not to do it
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In previous years, “going green” was something that other businesses did. Now it’s what every business wants to do. But in the rush to promote their business or product as green, many companies seeking to exploit this growing opportunity are by their very actions damaging the credibility and viability that truly green businesses offer. Paul Smith of GreenSmith Consulting explores “greenwashing” and its implications.
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Greenwashing: What it is, how to avoid it, and how not to do it
- 1. Greenwashing: What is it, how to spot it & how to avoid doing it yourself.
- 2. A little about me
- 3. QUIZ!!
- 4. Which of the following are greenwashing?
- 12. ?
- 13. Vague meaningless language Words or terms that say nothing specific, have no fixed meaning
- 14. Green product, dirty company We’re Green! But our factory isn’t!
- 15. Pretty pictures Distraction from a company’s true impact.
- 16. “One Factor” syndrome Touting one obvious “baddie” being gone, replaced by something same/worse
- 17. Um, so? Greening a product that still remains harmful.
- 18. Fake/ meaningless “Certification” ‘nuff said.
- 19. Claim without certification No, this is not real, but you get the picture
- 20. Lying!
- 21. How much greenwashing is going on?
- 22. 6 Sins of Greenwashing study (1018 products analyzed) • Hidden Trade-off : 998 products • No Proof : 454 products • Vagueness : 196 products • Irrelevance : 78 products • Fibbing : 10 products • Lesser of Two Evils : 17 products
- 24. Effects of greenwashing • Lack of trust • Damages true green credibility • Breeds cynicism • Feeds “trendy” label • Dismantles positive benefits achieved so far
- 25. Tools you can use to sort the green from the greenwash
- 27. Outside experts
- 28. The Wash
- 30. How not to do it? • Transparency • Honesty • Patience • Inclusive of consumer • Design with green in mind, not afterthought
- 31. “Hypocrisy is the first step to real change.”
- 32. What now? Discussion questions • Will greenwashing soil people’s enthusiasm for green products beyond repair? • How can we address/take action with companies that greenwash? • What tools/knowledge do you use to know things are truly green? • What is the square root of 169?
- 33. Links: • guardian.co.uk/environment/series/greenwash • http://washwatch.wordpress.com/ • http://www.greenwashingindex.com/ • http://www.terrachoice.com/Home/ Greenwashing/The%20Six%20Sins • http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2008/11/02/ cokes-dilemma-growth-green-or-both