What Is Greenwashing?

Unfortunately in this day and age there are companies that mislead customers by making false claims about a green product or service as an outlet to market and/or sell their product. The term for this practice is greenwashing, also known as green sheen.

TerraChoice, a North American environmental marketing agency, has devised the Six Sins of Greenwashing. This list of six can be applied any product or service that is believed to be green.

1. Hidden Trade-Off – This is when companies focus on one step of the process that they have made environmentally friendly when in fact the production, transportation, etc… may not be green at all.
2. No Proof – Companies should always be able to provide certificates, test results, etc… either through their website, the mail and even over the telephone.
3. Vague Claims – Similar to tell sin number one, this is when companies tell the truth but not the whole truth. They don’t elaborate on their claim; earth-friendly and chemical-free are examples of vague claims.
4. Irrelevant – TerraChoice uses the example of companies claiming a product such as oven cleaner or spray paint to be CFC-free, but CFCs have been banned in aerosol products since 1978! Inquire if the statement is actually important to the product.
5. Lies or Fibs – Some companies flat out lie or fib about green qualities of their product or service. Luckily, the organizations that do certify green claims provide lists of certified products. Consumers wont run into this problem as much as the other sins but do be aware that it does happen.
6. Lesser of Two Evils – This sin applies to products or services that have a questionable environmental benefit; TerraChoice uses the example of organic cigarettes and green pesticides. Making those products green doesn’t have a significant effect on the health of the environment and human beings.

When it comes to building or buying a new home, consumers on the lookout for greenwashing should be aware of vague terms for green claims such as stewardship, solar and eco-friendly to name a few. This goes hand in hand with sin number three. It’s easy to advertise that a house is eco-friendly but that claim has to be backed up. And just because a community is described using one of the terms listed above doesn’t mean that the builder or seller is stretching the truth or lying, but just look a little deeper into the claim.

With that said, the following terminology is often associated with truthful green claims; solar-generated power, water-saving devices, recycled materials from eco-friendly sources, thermal solar hot water, system efficiency and energy-efficient components.

Also, look for certifications from known green building programs such as Built Green, LEED and EarthAdvantage.

The Greenwashing Index is a helpful resource for finding greenwashing information, news, commentary and even ads.

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