How You Can Spot Greenwashing
Hi Everyone! The theme here at Dream on Youth this month is Environmental Wellness. We’re all about sustainability and doing our best to help improve things; in whatever way we can. So, I thought I’d start this month by talking about Greenwashing. In this deceptive advertising practice, companies falsely claim that their products are safer for the environment than they are. We are here in the US, and other countries may have different guidelines; we will be using the FTC Guidelines linked here for your convenience. This post will be a general overview of things to look for in the packaging or marketing of items. Be on the lookout for:
General Claims: All environmental claims made by a product or marketing have to be specific, that they cant say that they’re good for the environment. They must explain why the product in question is good for the environment; for example, is this product made from a sustainably farmed material? Is this product made from recycled materials? Even simple images can be deceptive marketing according to the FTC guidelines.
Free of Claims: Something many marketers love to tout is that their products are free of a specific substance, chemical, or other material that may make some people have an allergic reaction. However, barring minimal or trace amounts in the item, a consumer would expect to be an industry-standard item for manufacturing. For a chemical, substance, or other material to be an industry-standard, It’s such a common material that consumers expect it in their products.
Renewable Materials Claims: Manufacturers and marketers must substantiate the product claims if the manufacturer wishes to claim that a product is renewable or is in renewable packaging. They must verify and list it on the packaging that they want to use.
You can check out these and many more in the linked article, and I highly recommend that you follow the link and learn more about this fascinating topic. Remember if you want to be sustainable it starts with your own actions vote with your dollar and let companies know how you feel about their actions.