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Unmasking deceptive greenwashing
Recent decades have reflected a growing societal desire to pursue ecological lifestyles and minimise environmental harm.
Further still, consumers are increasingly placing their business with brands and seeking out products that they believe are actively making a positive contribution to the planet.
Recognising this trend, many companies have been swift to capitalise on this growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products. However, a deceptive practice known as “greenwashing” has developed on the back of the resultant surge in green marketing…
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers by making false or overstated environmental claims in hopes to win over the eco-conscious customer, while undermining authentic efforts towards sustainability. Untrustworthy claims made by greenwashing brands divert attention and resources away from authentic sustainable activities, creating a negative impact on both consumers and the environment.
Consumer aware – company beware
Consumers are becoming ever more vigilant and critically analyse environmental claims made by companies to avoid falling victim to greenwashing. They do this by being able to pinpoint vague terminology or lack of certifications to authenticate company claims.
Companies that actively pursue sustainability are more likely to be fully transparent with their customers and consumers by sharing and celebrating their efforts through data, recognised third-party certifications such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or EcoVadis, they are more likely to provide regular updates on their environmental goals, sharing and boasting of their achievements.
Therefore, customers and consumers are becoming increasingly observant to the absence of transparency by brands and making more conscious decisions on where to shop. As the momentum behind greenwashing increases improved guidelines and procedures by governments and regulatory bodies are needed to hold dishonest businesses accountable.
Most importantly for the customer and the environment, companies should be accountable for their corporate responsibility. They can do this by investing in eco-friendly initiatives and providing transparent, up-to-date, accurate information to consumers to help build consumer trust.
Transparency and eco-labelling
It is important to the customer and the environment, that companies are accountable for their corporate responsibility. They can do this by investing in eco-friendly initiatives and providing transparent, up-to-date, accurate information to consumers to help build consumer trust.
- Clear communication and avoiding misleading or vague claims.
- Keeping up to date. Sharing goals and updates and staying transparent when we lose track or targets are not being met – explaining why and provide a new plan of action.
- Seeking third-party independent verification to validate environmental claims.
- Educating employees to enable more environmentally conscious decisions and taking accountability.
- Ensuring sustainable practices are inherent in a company’s DNA rather than just a marketing slogan
Through collective efforts by companies, consumers, and the government, we can uncover greenwashing practices and encourage a shift towards genuine sustainability, safeguarding our planet for future generations. Combating greenwashing requires collective action from consumers, regulatory bodies, and responsible businesses, beginning with consumer education, learning about greenwashing practices and recognising accredited certifications, we can enable everyone to make informed choices.
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The New Focus on Sustainability in Retail
Last week, we were delighted to host a webinar on, ‘The New Focus on Sustainability in Retail’ taking a look at the challenges facing the sector today, and finding out how they can take their customers with them on their sustainable journey.
“Boring retail is dead, but sustainable retail is flourishing”.
We don’t need to remind you of the acceleration of digital trends over the last year, but one thing that retailers must take away from the changing landscape is the new focus of consumers. A recent survey by Deloitte, Shifting Sands, observed that consumers do value sustainable and ethical brands with 43% valuing sustainable packaging and 44% valuing waste reduction from brands. Importantly, the data also showed that 50% are willing to pay more for environmental and ethical brands.
But making sustainable decisions has never been more difficult for brands
Often brands are left with more questions than answers regarding their sustainability strategy; with government legislation constantly evolving, retailers and brands set their own initiatives and targets plus changing opinions and trends from consumers. Even knowing which accreditation to align your brand with can be a minefield when there are 456 eco labels globally, across 25 sectors and 199 countries. Download a copy of our webinar to find out more about how you can tackle the challenges facing retailers today.
Or, if you would like to start your sustainability journey with an experienced partner who can help guide you through everything you need to be considering, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch at [email protected]