36. Greenwashing 101

Welcome back to Spend Donate Invest. When we think about the things that keep us up at night. Whether that’s climate change, or homelessness, or racism, or any other systematic oppression, we usually talk about how we can claim our power when we vote. Some of us might protest, or organize ourselves in other ways. But what about….our money?

Are there ways that we can use our money in line with some of our other values? That’s what this show is about. You can send in your letters with whatever you’ve been thinking about, and then I’ll do some research, talk to experts, and come back with some thoughts. Hopefully you’ll come across some helpful suggestions, you might laugh, you might think differently than you did before, either way, thank you for being here.

Here’s today’s letter

I mentioned to my brother that I started trying to buy certain brands and shop at certain stores because I’m worried about climate change and he said that all of that marketing is greenwashing. I didn’t want to give him the smug feeling of knowing I have no idea what he’s talking about. So, I’ll ask you, what is greenwashing?

LOL. Greenwashing is a term that’s getting more and more popular. Most articles that you’ll read about it go back to a report written by TerraChoice back in 2007 where they outlined the most common false and misleading environmental claims. They called them the 7 sins of greenwashing LOL We love good marketing. 

So here they are:

Hidden Trade Offs- a company highlights their work fixing one environmental issue while hiding another one. They share the example of paper that’s created from sustainable forests. Just because you haven’t devastated a natural habitat, there are other trade offs we have to consider in the paper-making process, including energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and water and air pollution, may be equally or more significant. 

No Proof- they don’t have proof for their environmental claims. Like Nest, that fancy thermostat that has weirdly become a status symbol. They were claiming that they were the most environmentally friendly product compared to other thermostats, but they couldn’t prove it, so eventually they had to take the claim off their marketing.

Vagueness- what on earth do we even mean with all these labels. Like what does “green” mean. Or “all natural.” What does “ethical” mean. What are you even comparing to? The FTC has some guides on labeling but they aren’t legal requirements.

Irrelevance- CFCs (refrigerants) are banned because of their environmental impact, so it doesn’t make sense when companies proudly put a banner on their packaging that they don’t include CFCs. Of course they don’t, it’s literally the law. Let’s talk about what you’re doing above the bare minimum.

Lesser of Two Evils- when you see cars that are labeled as more fuel efficient, but just because they are better than the others, doesn’t mean they are actually good. I am often tempted when I see those fuel efficient SUVs being advertised, for example. Or you may have seen ads for organic cigarettes. There’s something so American about that, right?

Fibbing- outright false claims. 2015 the EPA found out that Volkswagon was cheating on their emissions testing software. Wasn’t that wild? Why do I always get surprised. Mercedes did this too. And Chevrolet and Ford did it too. So it’s not enough that we have the legal requirements, we need strict punishments. Sometimes you may see companies lying that their products are Energy Star certified or registered.

Worshiping False Labels- all those random labels that dont even mean anything from 3rd party organizations. Or they put all these pictures of trees and nature on the package but haven’t actually changed the ingredients at all.

So, those are the most common examples of greenwashing. Stay alert my friends.

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Links from today's show:

https://www.twosides.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Terrachoice_The_Sins_of_Greenwashing_-_Home_and_Family_Edition_2010.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3roITeXVWuE&list=PLEXiy5qiBZFvMordIzn1pANU048CLBfO9&index=10