Is It Greenwashing?

Updated November 26, 2019

I am now about six months into my journey of swapping out personal care and household products in my home for products that are toxic-free, cleaner, and more environmentally sustainable. It is interesting that as I conduct searches on the internet I get bombarded by ads that pop up on my computer -- companies advertising their products using words like, “cruelty-free, green, vegan, clean, environmentally friendly or sustainable.” Again, just because they advertise using these buzzwords it is not always the case.

I chatted with some of the EWG (Environmental Working Group) staff at one of their pop-ups in Portland, Oregon earlier this year. I was told there are a lot of companies making exaggerated or false claims about their products in an effort to capture consumers looking for healthier alternatives. These companies may use many of the current buzzwords or colorful pictures to allude to the consumer they are green but are they really?

Eluxe Magazine published five greenwashing tips to watch out for:

The Use of Misleading Green Images or Names - This is one of the most used tricks. Look out for pictures of trees, leaves, etc, and just because it displays an animal or a bit of the color green does not mean the product or services are either organic, green, clean or environmentally friendly.

The Use of Unsubstantiated Claims - The term "Vegan" is a great word thrown around a lot. Did you know that vegan leather is actually made from plastic? The good news is more vegan leather products are now being created out of recycled plastic.

The Lesser of Two Evils Trick - The tobacco industry has come up with a new deceptive way to promote organic cigarettes. "...organic means just slightly less deadly than regular cigarettes." And don't get me started on the fact that tobacco growers are still federally subsidized, making millions off of people addicted to nicotine and yet the FDA requires these same tobacco companies to label their products as hazardous to your health. What's up with that?

Unseen Tradeoffs - Many companies will claim they are eco-friendly by using sustainable products and practices in their manufacturing process but then not follow through with getting their products to market (i.e., "...many will ship their products from tens of thousands of miles away."

Irrelevant Claims - Beauty products are some of the worst offenders -- making us believe they are going green when they have actually done nothing relevant towards that end. "Beauty products that proudly declare themselves to be 'paraben and cruelty-free - the EU has banned parabens and animal testing anyway!" Being cruelty-free or vegan is not enough!

Greenwashing - an intentional marketing ploy!

From the Magazine of Corporate Responsibility, greenwashing is an intentional marketing ploy used by unscrupulous companies attempting to entice consumers to buy their products with false claims that their products are green, clean, or “…by posing as friends of the environment.” A 2014 survey on Corporate Social Responsibility found that 55% of consumers will pay more money for products they believe are from companies committed to positive social and environmental issues. Of the 55% of consumers, at least 52% of them had made a purchase from at least one socially responsible company, as well as checking the product packaging to ensure it is sustainable.

Greenpeace’s Efforts to Expose Companies Who Mislead

Even Greenpeace saw a need to expose companies that mislead the public with claims of environment commitments to cleaner/greener methods that were inherently false, and launched a program in 2009 called “Stop Greenwash.” Greenpeace found that many of these companies were totally contradicting their clean/green claims while at the same time polluting the environment they claimed to be protecting. Greenpeace also used a platform called “ad bluster” to target PR firms using false claims of green initiatives while at the same time working with lobbyists to protect their financial interests; many times pushing for laws that protect their pocketbooks and not our environment. Greenpeace even goes so far as to look deeper into companies that claim they were acting in the best interest of the environment when these same companies were actually “…forced to change a product, clean up its pollution or protect an endangered species, then uses PR campaigns to make such action look proactive or voluntary.”

Proctor & Gamble - Dawn Detergent

An example of a misleading green claim was noted in a 2012 CBC Marketplace study where Proctor & Gamble, made claims that “Dawn helps save wildlife”, while one of the key ingredients in Dawn is Triclosan, which was found to be toxic to wildlife. Even after environmental groups called for it to be banned their ad still runs on TV.

What is Green Cleaning?

Since there are no third-party organizations that regularly test or regulates the cleaning products we use in our homes or business, it is important to understand the term "green cleaning". Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products that are more environmentally friendly to effectively reduce pollutants in our water, maintain better overall air quality, reducing allergens, and most importantly, reduce our exposure to toxins found to cause cancer, neurological disorders, learning disability, and infertility.

Start by making the swap in your own home -- replacing one product at a time as you run out. Definitely do not throw all of the toxic products out at once -- it will be very expensive and wasteful. Also, be sure if they are really toxic to find a recycling center than you can properly dispose of them. Again, simply replace one household product at a time as you use it up with a cleaner option. Look for brands that fully disclose their ingredients on their labels to help you avoid those known toxic chemicals.

My First Clean Swaps

Due to my family's skin sensitivities, my first clean swap was changing my laundry detergent and household cleaners to Branch Basics. Be sure to check out Branch Basics' website for "toss the toxins" to get your Branch Basics starter kit box.

Branch Basics suggests tossing the following products:

1) Products with no ingredient list;

2) Products with the words WARNING, CAUTION or DANGER;

3) Products with the word "FRAGRANCE" as an ingredient;

4) Products labeled UNSCENTED or FREE & CLEAR without any ingredient list to verify;

5) Products labeled DISINFECTANT or SANITIZER;

6) Products with synthetic preservatives such as Methylisothiazolinone, Benzisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol; and

7) Products that contain ethoxylated ingredients.

Be sure to also check out my blog post about Target's efforts at providing clean-designated products for their customers.

It's time to TOSS THE TOXINS the Branch Basics Way!