The first time I heard the term greenwashing, it came from Steve Ashkin, a respected and outspoken green advocate. We were at a green cleaning conference in San Diego, California in 20004 (he was the keynote speaker) and we had the “Pope of Green Cleaning” just for ourselves over dinner. What a treat!

He was reflecting on his long journey to greening the cleaning and maintenance industry. “A conference like this one would have attracted 20 to 30 people two years ago. Now it’s packed with 150! And I’m scheduled to speak at 3 more before the end of the month. Next year at ISSA, the hottest topic will be green cleaning. But this is not over, our worst enemy is greenwashing”. My business partner and I looked at him with an expression inviting him to go on about an expression that sounded so nice. “Is it that bad?”. “Yes, it is dangerous. Let me explain: Greenwashing is a term we use for a product that overstates its environmental benefits. It speaks green, it smells green, it looks green but it is not green. We need green certifications to provide buyers with some reassurance the product they’re getting has been tested and meets environmental standards. I’m sitting on different committees to define those norms, but deep inside, I know it won’t be enough. Marketers are so good at taking advantage of people’s credulity”.

Not bad of an assessment and a prediction. TerraChoice has released last November a report on the issue that confirmed greenwashing persists and has taken really big proportions. The report, rightly named “The Six Sins of Greenwashing” – worth every minute of your time – says “we identified 1,018 consumer products bearing 1,753 environmental claims. Of the 1,018 products examined, all but one made claims that are demonstrably false or that risk misleading intended audiences.” Joel Makower, another prominent green advocate, although skeptical and critical on green marketing could not believe his eyes. He interviewed Scot Case, and well, as hard as it hurts, it is true.
Here are the Six Sins:
1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off
2. Sin of No Proof
3. Sin of Vagueness
4. Sin of Irrelevance
5. Sin of Fibbing
6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils

So should we stop believing those environmental claims? Joel Makower thinks that although most of these claims “represent outright fabrications” others might just be sloppy marketing.

Consumer product manufacturers are not the only ones to be sinful of greenwashing. Institutional product manufacturers (the ones purchased by schools, hospitals, businesses and so on) have used “green marketing” to lure institutional purchasers. Greg Zimmerman points out a notable difference: institutional buyers can rely on “third-party validation, a way to determine a product’s green qualifications“. I would add that a lot of businesses send their people to seminars where they can acquire enough understanding and knowledge to make the right decisions. When quantities justify it, they hire people (like me) to help them better assess the environmental benefits and select the right products. Consumers are not so lucky, there is a bit too much noise out there. The Clorox TV commercial is a perfect example of greenwashing: “A cleaner and safer world” in a beautiful green country setting.

WYSIWYG!

What all this tells us is read the label, and if you feel confused or not convinced, visit the manufacturer’s web site, call them, visit one of the many green non-profits out there that put a green or red dot on products, and finally, learn about green certifications, there is one for about everything we buy or do: Green Seal, Energy Star, EcoLogo, Environmental Choice, Environmentally Preferable Products, SmartWood, Green Label Plus. For a comprehensive list click here.

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