Green advertising has increased tenfold

in the last 20 years and has almost tripled since 2006 – but do the goods on offer actually live up to the standards being sold to consumers, including you? The Seven Sins of Greenwashing

report by TerraChoice, conducted in November 2008 and January 2009, examined the ‘green’ practices of large retailers in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. After recording and researching every

product making an environmental claim, the report found that 98 percent of the 2,219 products surveyed in North America alone, committed at least one of the Sins of Greenwashing – which is a useful guide to the tricks manufacturers use to claim their products are more ‘green’ than they actually are.

ECOLOGICAL

It’s all well and good products being made from wholesome natural and organic ingredients – and being classed accordingly – but if the production and advertising of such products aren’t mindful of other environmental impacts, then they just aren’t ecological. Biolage, whose packaging is recyclable

and a good proportion of it made using PCR materials, extends that idea to its point of sale material. All promotional communication and point of sale materials are printed on white uncoated paper manufactured from 100 percent recycled post-consumer waste, which means it is both biodegradable and recycled. Darragh O’Connor told us how

the brand is actively committed to minimising environmental impact in other areas as well. “From a manufacturing point of view, we actively monitor both the inputs and outputs of our manufacturing processes. We strive to reduce consumption of energy and water, and minimise the emissions and waste created by the production of our products. In 2008, our US Biolage manufacturing plant reduced total energy consumption by 13 percent, water consumption by 23 percent and increased the proportion of recovered/ re-used waste by 67 percent.” Other brands are also considering

the type of energy they use in manufacturing products, and taking radical steps to ensure that their business has a positive impact on both local and global communities. >>

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information or by a reliable third-party certification. Common examples are facial or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing any evidence.

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SIN OF VAGUENESS: A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All- natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring and poisonous, so ‘all natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’.

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SIN OF THE HIDDEN TRADE-OFF:

Suggesting a product is ‘green’, based on an unreasonably narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, including energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and water and air pollution, may be equally or more significant.

SIN OFNO PROOF: An environmental

claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting

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SIN OF LESSER OF TWO EVILS:

Claims that may be true within the product category, but that risk distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes are an example of this category, as are fuel- efficient sport-utility vehicles.

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SIN OF FIBBING: Making

environmental claims that are simply false. The most common examples are products falsely claiming to be Energy Star certified or registered.

SIN OF WORSHIPPING

FALSE LABELS: Some marketers exploiting consumers’ demand for third-party certification by creating fake labels or false suggestions of third- party endorsement.

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Environmental Claims in Consumer Markets, Summary Report: North America April 2009.

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THE SEVEN SINS OFGREENWASHING

SIN OF IRRELEVANCE:

An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.