The Dangers of Greenwashing

Greenwashing, woke washing and even purpose washing are all terms that have become more prevalent in the marketing language over the last decade.

For those who haven’t heard of these terms before, it is the process of using marketing around environmental and sustainable initiatives to provide false claims around how a business is contributing to sustainability. While greenwashing and purpose washing have been around for a while, the rise in social consciousness and sustainable consumerism has contributed to a spike in “green washing.”

“So, if sustainable consumerism is good, how is greenwashing bad?”

As consumers increasingly seek to purchase eco-friendly products, more businesses are beginning to promote the way in which they are conscious and sustainable. While this has many positives for brands who are authentically sustainable, it can also be dangerous for those that are not. Greenwashing ultimately misleads consumers into acting unsustainably by making purchase decisions which provide more harm than the business claims. E.g. if a beauty brand “claims” to not test on animals, conscious consumers may be mislead into buying this product which in fact has harmed animals in the making.

Beyond this, greenwashing, woke washing and purpose washing are all extremely risky in terms of public perception and can be detrimental to the reputation of a business. A truth outlined by Forbes in 2021, sums it up quite nicely - “covering up a scandal can be more disastrous than the scandal itself.”  When it is found that a business has used greenwashing to falsely market their product or service, the damage to its reputation almost always leads to a decrease in sales and brand loyalty. 

This has forced consumers to become more skeptical and thorough when choosing brands to purchase from. This move towards a greener future, encourages the importance of transparency and authenticity. Consumers, investors and auditors are pushing for businesses to outline the steps they are taking to reach their specific sustainability goals and targets. As a business, it’s a good idea to involve and educate the entire team about your brand values and purposes so that your conscious initiatives are embedded into every aspect of your business - this will allow for authenticity and transparency.  As businesses become more transparent with their sustainable initiatives, this will eventually weed out the greenwashers and allow consumers to make decisions that will contribute to a sustainable future.