GREENWASHING 101
Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company's products are more environmentally sound. It is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company's products are environmentally friendly.
of corporate sustainability claims were misleading
or overstated their impact on the environment in 2021
40%
THE IMPACT
Companies are able to say they are taking positive action while continuing to contribute to our changing climate. This leads to continued negative activity that contributes to deforestation, ocean acidification, pollution, carbon emissions, and more.
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Additionally, it makes consumers suspicious of brands and increases confusion around sustainability. This enables consumers to act and make purchase decisions in unsustainable ways - many times unconsciously.
7 SINS OF GREENWASHING
In 2007, in an effort to describe, understand and quantify the growth of greenwashing, TerraChoice, developed and launched a study of environmental claims made on products carried on category-leading big box store shelves. Based on the results of the original study and subsequent studies, the Seven Sins of Greenwashing were developed to help consumers identify products that made misleading environmental claims.
Hidden Trade-Off
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A claim suggesting that a product is green based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues.
Irrelevance
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An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products.
No Proof
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An environmental claim not substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification.
Lesser of Two Evils
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A claim that may be true within the product category but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole.
Vagueness
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A claim suggesting that a product is green based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues.
Fibbing
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Environmental claims that are simply false.
Worshipping False Labels
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A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.
Know Before You Buy
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Unearth helps you easily identify corporate greenwashing claims
across a wide variety of brands and products.