Welcome to Naked Sustainability Podcast. This bold podcast helps busy millennials navigate real-life sustainability with practical tips, no-nonsense advice, and a zero-fucks-given attitude, all through a transparent and authentic lens of living in the real world. Join Ginny for lively conversations, expert interviews, and hilarious anecdotes. From eco-fashion to zero-waste living, we’ll empower you to be an eco-warrior without compromising your badass lifestyle. Get ready to kick some eco-ass.
Join Ginny as she tackles the deceptive tactics used by companies to appear eco-friendly while harming the planet. Learn how to spot genuine sustainability initiatives and make informed choices in your everyday purchases. From scrutinizing labels to demanding transparency, we’ll navigate through the maze of greenwashing together. Tune in for actionable tips and inspiring stories as we challenge businesses to prioritize ethical and environmentally responsible practices.
Table of Contents
Introduction to “Eco-Friendly Marketing”
Hey friends, welcome back to the Naked Sustainability Podcast, where we discuss living our everyday lives as sustainably as possible. It’s Ginny, your host and sustainability advocate, and today we’re looking to unravel the truth behind the products we buy and the companies we support. We’re tackling the pervasive issue of, you guessed it, greenwashing, the environmental impact of products and companies.
Join me as we explore how to spot genuine, sustainable, eco friendly products and companies that are doing good for the planet amidst the sea of greenwashing. I’m gonna be honest, this week I’m recording this podcast a little late. I am rushing to get it out to you guys on Friday afternoon, and I’ve just had like a really rough day. Everything has just not been going exactly how I planned it, and I’m having one of those need a deep breath kind of days.
So I think greenwashing is the perfect topic. Because a lot of my frustrations today, at least after the day job, have been about buying the products that I wanted to buy and then calling and traversing the tri county area that I live in to find what we want, only for it not to be available.
What is Greenwashing?
So greenwashing is a clever marketing campaign basically that’s employed by companies to capitalize on our growing concern for the environment. It involves presenting products or their brand as environmentally friendly or sustainable or better for the planet, often through misleading or exaggerated marketing claims. From eco-friendly packaging to vague assertions of being “green,” (in quotation marks), greenwashing tactics are designed to sway customers perceptions without substantiating the claims with meaningful action.
So greenwashing is the art, for lack of a better word, of masking the true environmental impact of products, services, or corporate practices through misleading or exaggerated marketing claims. This tactic is employed by companies to capitalize on our concern for the planet, without making any kind of research based or quantitative claims to back it up. These can be done through flashy ad campaigns, or, things that they don’t say. Greenwashing seeks to create the illusion of sustainability, while sidestepping genuine accountability.
Example of Misleading Marketing
I’m neither here nor there for certain types of products, and I really don’t like to, support specific brands on the channel, at least not yet but one such instance that I have of a greenwashing tactic is several years ago, I sent the boyfriend to the grocery store to get some groceries and maybe like trash bags were on the list still. We hadn’t made that transition to using less plastic bags yet. I don’t think we were composting at that time but we were still trying to be more sustainable and buy better products and kind of be aware of what we were doing.
And so he came back and he was so excited because in the kitchen trash bag aisle, he had found kitchen trash bags that were made in a zero waste facility. And this was like in big bold letters on the front of this package. Which is fantastic. I guess. But there were no third party reports to support that claim. It didn’t make that product more eco-friendly because it was still a plastic kitchen bag that was still going to be filled with all the items that are sent to landfill. And I just had to laugh because it brought me to the point where I was like, “oh wow, this is greenwashing that everyone is talking about.”
Where Companies see Greenwashing Benefits
Companies use greenwashing for several reasons. First, it’s a way to appeal to us as environmentally conscious consumers and to boost sales without investing in any kind of meaningful sustainability efforts. As we’ve talked about before, even for consumers like us, everyday people, some ways in which you can be more sustainable end up being a little bit more expensive in the beginning. They do pay off over the long run, the return on investment does get better, But that initial investment can scare a lot of people, including companies.
Especially if they think that it’s not worth it because all it’s doing is helping the planet and not helping their bottom line or their, profit margin or their revenue, or their growth and expansion into other markets and areas of the world.
So by presenting products as eco friendly, by slapping a sticker on it, or putting a “green” in their name, or just making some wild claims that look good, but don’t actually have any real meaningful impact behind them, is a lot easier than it is to invest in making your factory solar powered, or using recycled materials instead of sourcing the cheap raw materials that you’ve gotten for years.
By presenting these products as eco friendly or sustainable, good for the planet, these companies and brands can tap into the growing market demand that they’ve seen for these green products and capitalize on our goodwill, our trustworthiness. It’s all well and good. We’re trying to do better. Not all of us have all the time in the world to research every claim. And so they’re like, okay, I’m going to get a couple more green people with this marketing. And it works. It’s a very valid and potentially harmful tactic by companies.
Using Greenwashing as a Facade
On another aspect, greenwashing serves as a shield against criticism and regulatory scrutiny. By presenting a veneer, like a facade, of environmental responsibility, companies can deflect attention away from their actual environmental impact and avoid backlash from consumers, activists, regulators, anyone else who wants to shit on them.
I think the oil industry has probably done this very well. They have put the onus of environmental responsibility on us as individual people living in the world in that, you know, we make up more waste than they do, or our individual efforts collectively are creating this global warming, climate change kind of thing. When really it’s the big companies that are harming the planet the most by mining the products, or inefficiently using energy, or continuing to put plastic out into the world, those kind of things.
The Harms of Deceitful Marketing
But, why is greenwashing harmful? So, yeah, they want to market it as a more eco-friendly product, but what’s wrong with that? Greenwashing poses several risks and consequences both for consumers and the environment. It erodes the trust and undermines the credibility of genuine sustainability initiatives.
This is why I think authenticity and transparency are so important in our world today. You can be authentic and transparent, and I don’t have to agree with all of your views, but I can agree with the fact that you are putting it out there for the world. And I think companies that are trying to hide their environmental impact or use greenwashing marketing campaigns to make their impact look a little less, this definitely destroys any kind of trust that I would have for that company. And even if they do move into a sustainable space in the future. I don’t know that I would want to go back to them because they’ve already destroyed that trust that I had for them.
Greenwashing Undermines Sustainable Credibility
And then it also undermines the credibility of actual sustainable products. So if I’m buying something that says made in a zero waste facility, but it’s still plastic based and still going to end up in a landfill. And then I get turned off by the marketing slogan “made in a zero waste facility.” The next time I see a product that is probably made of recycled goods that is made in a zero waste facility and is actually, compostable at the end of its life, then I might turn my head the other way because I had already been burned by the made in a zero waste facility marketing in the past.
With these greenwashing tactics, we become disillusioned and skeptical of all environmental claims, making it harder for truly sustainable products and companies to gain traction in this marketplace.
Culture of Inaction and Complacency
Another reason greenwashing is harmful is because it perpetuates a culture of complacency and inaction, allowing companies to continue business as usual, as they always have for many, many years without addressing their environmental footprint. By providing a false sense of security, greenwashing hinders progress towards any real and meaningful sustainability goals, and it delays the urgent action that we need to address the pressing environmental issues like climate change, air pollution, and resource depletion in our world.
Examples of Greenwashing
Greenwashing can take many forms, and I’m sure I’ve not even seen all of them, but it can range from something really subtle to blatant and in your face. Some common examples include misleading labels. These are products adorned with green imagery or eco friendly buzzwords that give the impression of environmental friendliness without any substantive evidence to back it up.
These might include, I’m not saying it always includes, but these might include companies or products that have green in the name. So, like, Eco-Drano, right, is probably still really bad, even though they have Eco in the name. Or even like a, GreenClean, a cleaning product that says it’s a green cleaning product, and it’s got clean in its name, but you have to actually look at the ingredients to see what’s in it and see what it actually does to the environment.
Vague Marketing Claims
Another example of greenwashing is a vague claim. So companies may use these vague words like natural, green, or environmentally friendly without providing specific details or any kind of certifications to support their claims. I think I’ve seen a lot of this this past week.
Personal Example
As many of you know, we’re re-doing our kitchen. Our youngest fur child jumped up on the counter and ended up turning on a faucet while we were gone for about seven or eight hours.
And so the faucet ran down our really old countertop behind it because it was old and we already knew that we were going to have to replace it in the future. And so then it got all over the floor, it flooded our basement, and we had to remove the cabinets to dry out our subfloor to make sure we didn’t have to replace anything else.
In that process, we just decided we were going to full on renovate our kitchen because it was on our to do list in the future. And so we’re at the point of our project where we’re looking for flooring adhesives. We wanted to do a hardwood floor like we have in the rest of the house. And so we’re gluing that down to make sure that it’s, you know, waterproof in the future. Nothing can get to our subfloor. Our most used room in the house is our kitchen, and so we want to make sure nothing moves and we never have to replace it or do anything to it.
And I think a lot of the flooring adhesives I’ve looked at have low VOCs, they don’t put organic compounds into the air. Mostly there are toxic chemicals and you don’t want to smell them or breathe them in and you don’t want them in your house without it being super ventilated and your windows open. And so they’re like, eco-friendly flooring adhesive when it’s really urethane based.
Sustainability with Life in Mind
So the claims of being eco-friendly are kind of total bullshit. There are some water based ones, and honestly we’re, we’re looking for one that’s not going to affect our life right now. So low VOCs those organic compounds, we’re looking for one that’s going to work for our life.
So we’re still using our kitchen, in and out, we can’t just like stop using it. And so it’s a combination of taking all of those what we need right now in our life kind of thing, adding it to the what’s going to last basically forever so that we never have to fucking redo this again. And then trying to see, okay, what works with the type of flooring that we’re trying to put in and what might we want to look for as far as being good for the environment, not harming it too much. So we take a multi pronged approach to find out what we in our life can support as far as sustainability initiatives in all of our projects.
Token Sustainability Efforts
Another common example of greenwashing would be token sustainability efforts. So this company may highlight a single eco friendly product that they have or a single eco friendly initiative that they’ve taken, you know, to look good, to do better, to be better for the planet. They might take that one thing and overlook the broader environmental issues of its entire operations.
Some companies use Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives, which is basically a handbook on how a company plans to be more sustainable and eco friendly and how they want to approach the initiatives that they want to take. So some companies use these initiatives as a smoke screen to distract from far more significant environmental impacts elsewhere in their business. So they might pick something that’s really easy to implement, right?
Maybe they pick one product that they want to make from a more natural material. And that’s part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. And the fact that they have a corporate social responsibility plan or initiative or effort looks good and it makes them think that they don’t have to do anything else. Because they are just chugging along on their corporate goals, on their corporate ladder with their, you know, one social responsibility initiative that they’re working towards way down the line without any kind of deadline.
And then they’re not actually doing enough or even anything to move their sustainability needle forward.
By understanding these tactics and remaining vigilant, we can better navigate through the noise of greenwashing and make more informed, sustainable purchasing choices that align with our values.
Navigating Greenwashing
So how can we navigate through the maze of greenwashing and identify the truly sustainable products and companies that we want to support? Now that we kind of know what makes up greenwashing, let’s empower ourselves with the knowledge and the tools to identify genuine sustainable products and the companies that make them.
By becoming savvy consumers and critical thinkers using the EcoMindful Method, we can hold businesses accountable for their environmental claims and drive positive change within our capitalistic society.
Scrutinize Labels & Marketing Claims
One thing we can do is scrutinize labels and marketing claims. We don’t want to be swayed by any kind of superficial green imagery, or “green” in the name, or “eco” in the name, or any kind of vague marketing slogans. Instead, we want to think critically, and scrutinize labels and marketing claims for specific, verifiable information about a product’s environmental credentials.
This might include looking for certifications and labels from reputable organizations that attest to a product’s sustainability, such as a Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC, for responsibly sourced wood products, or the USDA Organic Label for organic foods.
Do Company Research
We want to research company practices. We’ll take a deep dive into company sustainability practices beyond what it’s marketing to us. We want to investigate its environmental policies, its supply chain transparency, and how much they’re telling the rest of the world, and track record on key issues like their waste management, energy efficiency, and how they treat their employees.
Genuine, sustainable companies are transparent about their efforts and readily provide information to back up these claims. You want to look for companies that prioritize this transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in their sustainability practices.
Once you learn the EcoMindful Method and you have done your research enough times, you start to be gravitated, I think, a little bit more towards the companies that are super transparent, are trying to make a difference, that are being authentic.
Trustworthy Certifications
And I think you’re just going to find that it’s so much easier to find those companies than it was in the beginning. So just keep trekking on and keep moving forward. Trustworthy certifications also provide independent verification of a product or company’s sustainability credentials. This one is mind boggling to me, because there are a lot of certifications out there, and I can’t even begin to know what every single one of them looks for, friggin means. But if you’re looking for certifications as part of your research, you want to look for certifications like Fairtrade, B Corp, Energy Star, or even the Marine Stewardship Council, which all adhere to rigorous standards and criteria.
I really want someone to have like one certification to rule them all, but I understand in my head how that doesn’t even begin to work because it covers so many industries that one certification to cover everything from sustainable initiatives and sustainable products to sourcing products and energy efficiency and, like, it just becomes too much. But my brain wants it all under one umbrella.
Someone out there, maybe create it, please.
Anyway, these certifications offer consumers assurance they’re making a more sustainable choice. And they do provide a level playing field for companies that are committed to ethical and environmentally responsible practices.
Companies that are trying to greenwash you and aren’t truly into the sustainability game won’t have these certifications. They won’t be boasting about how they’re working towards these certifications. You won’t be able to find them anywhere on their website. So if a company does boast these certifications, it is more than likely a company that is actually taking steps to be more sustainable.
Lifecycle Analysis
And then finally, we want to evaluate the entire product lifecycle. We want to consider the environmental impact of a product across its entire lifespan from raw material extraction to production. to production, to distribution, to how we use it, and then how it ends up at the end of its life.
We want to look for companies that prioritize sustainable sourcing, ethical and safe labor practices, minimal packaging, or even zero packaging, and end of life recycling or disposal options, including composting.
Genuine sustainable companies, or companies looking to be more sustainable, will take a holistic approach to sustainability and strive to minimize their environmental footprint at every stage of their product’s life cycle.
Sustainable Company Examples
Without naming some actual companies, here are what some companies are doing to lead the way. in genuine sustainability. So there are companies out there renowned for their commitment to environmental and social responsibility. They might invest in sustainable materials, fair labor practices, and even environmental activism. And they might be more transparent about their supply chain and their environmental impact than other companies.
Or if you’re looking for a product company, like a cleaning product company, you want to look for one that’s using plant based ingredients and sustainable packaging to minimize its environmental footprint. They also could be certified cruelty free or vegan and have a commitment to reducing plastic waste.
Or companies that prioritize carbon neutral shipping, those kind of things are what you’re looking for.
Otherwise you could look for companies that have ambitious sustainability goals like achieving carbon neutrality and zero waste, but want to look for companies that aren’t super far off in the future. And you want to look for companies that are telling you what they’re doing now to reach that number in the future.
Or you want to look for companies that prioritize recycled materials, renewable energy and closed loop manufacturing processes to minimize their overall environmental impact.
Being a Conscious Consumer
As conscious consumers, we hold the power to drive positive change through our purchasing decisions. By supporting genuinely sustainable products and companies, And rejecting the greenwashing bullshit that’s thrown at us every day, We send a clear message to businesses that ethical and environmentally responsible practices are non negotiable.
By leveraging our buying power and demanding transparency, authenticity, accountability, and sustainability from the companies that we choose to support, we actually end up shaping the marketplace and creating one that prioritizes environmentally responsible practices.
1. Educate Yourself
Here’s how we can empower conscious consumption. You want to make sure you educate yourself. Knowledge is power. Take the time to know what you’re looking for in regards to sustainability issues, environmental impact, and ethical labor practices. You want to try to stay informed about the latest developments in sustainable business practices and consumer advocacy. Resources such as sustainability blogs, like Naked Sustainability, documentaries, and consumer guides can help you make more informed choices.
2. Question Everything
Question everything. Don’t take any marketing claim at face value. Question the narratives presented to you and demand evidence to support those sustainability claims and tactics. Scrutinize labels, certifications, and company practices. By digging just a little bit deeper and asking yourself the right questions, you can separate genuine sustainability efforts from mere greenwashing.
3. Vote with Your Wallet
Your purchasing decisions have massive power. When we choose to support companies that align with our values and prioritize sustainability, transparency, and social responsibility, we’re voting with our wallet, and we’re sending a clear message to businesses that ethical and environmentally responsible practices are necessary.
4. Use Your Voice
We want to support brands that are genuinely committed to making a positive impact on people and the planet. You can also use your voice to advocate for change. Engage with companies, policymakers, and industry leaders to demand greater accountability and transparency in business practices. Take that voice and support grassroots movements, petitions, and campaigns that champion sustainability and social justice.
5. Be a Role Model
And finally, you can be a role model for conscious consumption in your community, your family, and your social circles. Share what you’re learning and your knowledge and your experience with others and inspire them to make more sustainable choices in their daily lives. Whether it’s through reducing their waste, supporting local businesses, or advocating for more ethical fashion, every action that we take sends a very powerful message that small changes can make a big difference.
Final Thoughts on Greenwashing
As we wrap up today’s episode, I challenge you to become a more vigilant consumer, armed with knowledge and skepticism as you approach the marketplace. Question the narratives in the marketing campaigns presented to you. Demand transparency and accountability from the companies you choose to support. And join the movement towards a more sustainable future. One where businesses actually help the planet instead of harm it. Thank you for joining me on this journey through the complexities of conscious consumerism and the fight against greenwashing this week. If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, please share it with a friend. Feel free to reach out at NakedSustainability.com at the link in the show notes. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join us next week as we explore more badass ways to care for the planet while living this busy millennial life. Until next time, friends.
