Greenwashing: when sustainability is just a sham

At a time when sustainability is becoming increasingly important, many companies are focusing on a green image. But unfortunately, not everything that looks green is really sustainable. This strategy of presenting yourself as greener than you actually are is called “greenwashing”. But what is behind greenwashing and how can you tell whether a company is really acting sustainably?

The origin and meaning of greenwashing

The term “greenwashing” was coined in the 1980s by environmental activist Jay Westerveld. At the time, he criticized hotel chains that advertised that they were protecting Sustainable World by changing fewer towels – while the actual motivation was to reduce operating costs. Even if the intentions are often not honest, greenwashing paradoxically sometimes has a positive effect: the pressure to be perceived as sustainable forces companies to implement at least some more environmentally friendly practices, even if these are only superficial.

The top 5 tricks of the greenwasher

Greenwashing can come in many forms. Here are the five most common tactics companies use to present themselves as greener than they are:

1. highlighting a single measure

A company strongly emphasizes a small, environmentally friendly measure while the rest of its business practices continue to be harmful to the environment. An example is a fashion company that advertises a “sustainable” range of clothing made from recycled materials, even though the majority of its production uses unsustainable practices.

2. use of vague terms

Terms such as “environmentally friendly”, “natural” or “green” are used without it being clear what exactly they mean. These terms sound good, but are often not backed up by concrete measures or independent tests.

3. organic products with long delivery routes

A product is advertised as “organic” or “natural”, but comes from distant countries and has a considerable carbon footprint due to transportation. Organic cultivation is emphasized, but the environmental impact of transport is concealed.

4. use of green packaging

Products are presented in green packaging or with images of nature to make them appear more sustainable, even though the contents are not environmentally friendly. This visual deception plays with the consumer’s perception.

5. lack of transparency

One company states that it pursues sustainable practices, but does not provide any concrete data or evidence. There is a lack of clear information on how these measures are implemented and monitored.

Conclusion: Be honest in your communication – and avoid greenwashing

For you as a company, this means looking at your sustainability communication from the perspective of a skeptic like Jay Westerveld. Would he recognize your efforts as serious – or would he publicly denounce you?

Only if you speak honestly and transparently about your measures and actually implement them can you gain the trust of your customers and maintain it in the long term. Because true sustainability is more than just a marketing ploy – it must be deeply rooted in your corporate philosophy.