Greenwashing
- jmemka
- Sep 22, 2016
- 3 min read
As I stated in my last post, it was a little mind-blowing to discovery how old sustainability is. It was equally mind-blowing and somewhat comical to learn about the marketing practice of "greenwashing" .
Before I get into greenwashing, a brief history of sustainability (as we know it today) is most likely necessary.
- Its roots are in forest management (seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Europe).
- Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" was published in 1962. The book highlighted the impact that inorganic pesticides were having on the environment and wildlife. It is said that public concern generated by Rachel Carson's writings led to the formation of the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1970.
- Kenneth Gouding published "Spaceship Earth" in 1966. His essay identified that the ecological system had limited pools of resources and there was a need to have a economic system in place to manage them.
- Friends of the Earth is formed in the USA 1969.
- Earth Day starts in 1970.
- 1972 Greenpeace is formed, UN conference in Stockholm for global gatherings on global action, the word "sustainable" is used in the report "Limits to growth". The report was written by a group of scientists searching for a model that would manage global output without causing collapse for all populations.
- 1987 the UN released a report headed by Gro Harlem Brundtland (The Brundtland Report). The report included what is now considered to be the most accepted definition of modern sustainable development.
Of course there were other events that helped form the definition of sustainability as we know it today, but these seem to be the most significant and widely regarded.
Greenwashing
The term was coined by Jay Westerveld, (an environmental activist) in 1986. He wrote an essay about the hotel industry and its attempt to appear environmentally friendly by asking customers to leave towels they intended to reuse on the towel bar, towels left on the floor would be sent to the wash.
The hoteliers made the claim that by limiting the amount of laundry, customers would help save the earth's vital resources and both parties would be "green".
After further thought, Westerveld found that the hoteliers had many other options to become more environmentally friendly. He theorized the greatest way would be to reduce the massive amounts of energy waste that can be found in hotels.
While washing less towels may use less water, electricity, and detergent, it also reduces operating costs which increases profit, and creates a false sense of environmentalism.
Westerveld quickly realized that the money spent on promoting the "towel" movement could have been better utilized to reduce environmental impacts. The sad reality is that the practice was inlace to simply increase profits.
While Westerveld was responsible for coining the term, the practice of greenwashing started in the 60's as companies tried to improve customer relations and increase profits (on the heals of the new environmental movement) by appearing to be more environmentally friendly than competitors. Dupont and Chevron were the most notable companies that started campaigns that suggested they were more
environmentally conscious, when in fact they made little to no change in their operations. Again, the money spent on advertising would have been better utilized on actually researching and implementing true environmental practices.
Greenwashing is a practice in which companies make vague and misleading claims that their products are more eco-friendly than the really are. Educated consumers can positively impact the sustainability movement by purchasing truly green products and buying into the illusion of advertising and marketing.
A collection of resources used in the writing of this post, and a greenwashing game to test your knowledge.
Mulligan, M. (2015) An Introduction to Sustainability: Environmental, social and personal perspectives. New York: Routledge
