greenliving


Greenwashing Update


HOW TO BE A SMART SHOPPER by Ed Begley, Jr.


W


e may think we are protecting our family’s health and the Earth’s environment by buy- ing eco-friendly products, but a second look at some so-called “green” products may reveal we’ve been led astray. When companies hurry to cash in with new product lines touting natural living prod-


ucts, too many of the changes are more cosmetic (new packaging, appealing earthy logos) than chemical; sometimes toxicity levels decrease in only minimal amounts. With green marketing cam- paigns in overdrive, how can we be sure that we truly are selecting a certified safe product?


Hijacking True Eco-Trends Greenwashing occurs when more money or time is spent on advertising and labeling green characteristics than actually developing and implement- ing environmentally sound products and practices. Words such as natural, non-toxic and eco-safe are now widely misused.


Although greenwashing has been around for nearly a quarter century, corporations today are committing to it at unprecedented levels as they go after the growing market for eco-friendly products. Companies have duly noted that even the average Jane is now in- terested in protecting the environment and is willing to pay a premium to help. When products and services are really green, everyone wins; but when they are suspect, everyone suffers from a false sense of stewardship. The hijacking of green by irrespon-


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sible corporations is aptly characterized by Jay Westerveld’s initial 1986 report on greenwashing, first used to describe the reuse of towels in the hotel indus- try. His research implied that in-room signage stating that, “Reusing the hotel towels helps save the environment,” was more a ploy to increase reserva- tions from patrons concerned about their environmental footprints than an actual credo of hotel management. One can hardly assert environmental responsibility based on laundry alone, but many hotels did, even though they were not participating in any other forms of resource conservation, recy- cling or waste reduction. The bottled water industry is a more recent example. Amid mounting negative publicity about their unsus- tainable practices, these companies ag- gressively overhauled label designs and switched to thinner plastic bottles. Yes, the new form is less wasteful, but drink- ing bottled water remains among the most environmentally unfriendly habits; plus, drinking from plastic, made with petrochemicals, is unhealthy, according to a Harvard School of Public Health study published in 2011 in the peer- reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Thankfully, the tide is turning


in many companies with integrity. For example, in the 20 years since


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