Consumers are being “greened” to death and unfortunately, most of it is nothing more than a clever illusion.  Green washing is the all too common practice of companies marketing their products, policies or both as being healthier than they actually are.  Whether these marketers are appealing to your concerns about personal health or the environment or anything in between - they know which buttons to push and indeed they push away.  This practice has been going on since 1970.  In April of that year the first Earth Day was celebrated and consumer interest in environmental issues was noticed by many well-known manufacturing companies and green washing has been little more than a game of terminology since.

In 2009, researchers learned that cosmetics, children’s products and home cleaning products were the categories most frequently and blatantly green washed by manufacturers.  While the Federal Trade Commission has created guidelines for marketing claims referencing environmental issues, they are suggested rather than enforceable by law.  As such, understanding the more common green wash tactics used by companies is truly the only defense consumers currently have at their disposal.

Trendy Terms
Companies realize that retail shoppers are looking for words such as eco-friendly, natural, organic, pure, etc.  How crazy would marketing executives have to be NOT to use them in their marketing efforts?  Ignore these words until you can find evidence of their existence some place other than the front label, advertising materials or signage.  With personal care products, in particular, this “evidence” will typically be found on the back ingredient label – at least that’s the best place to start.  If you are concerned about environmental or fair trade issues, you will have to dig even deeper. 

Eco-friendly products made by Eco-disastrous companies
This one applies specifically to companies claiming that their products are eco-sensitive or eco-friendly.  Do some research on the company and its manufacturing practices and policies.  Is it dumping pollutants into our water system?  Does it conduct business in such a way as to minimize its impact on our environment?  If the company is using more than its share of the Earth’s resources with little or no regard for the consequences, then it doesn’t really matter if their shipping boxes are recycled, does it?

Green Imagery
McDonalds recently changed its packaging in European countries from yellow and red to yellow and green.  Visually pleasing consumers who are searching for “greener” products is a commonly used tactic and is very effective.  The next time you shop, make note of products with labels that celebrate nature.  Marketing gurus realize the appeal of florals, pastures, farmland, rolling hills, crystal clear water, etc.  Green ink on the label may well be the only eco-related thought put into some products marketed in such a way that consumers will buy them believing they are making an Earth-friendly choice.

Peep Hole Claims
By narrowing a consumer’s focus to one or two specific green attributes, companies hope that the no notice will be given to the non-environmental pieces of the puzzle.  Companies should use recycled packaging whenever possible.  Yet this one attribute should be seen as nothing more than what it is.  Any company claiming to manufacture green products should be held accountable across the board to demonstrate the environmental care taken throughout their operations.  Should companies be expected to live up to unreasonable environmental standards?  No, but companies claiming green should function within established parameters that firmly establish environmental responsibility among their top priorities.

Best of the Worst
The environmental impact of manufacturing operations is a relatively new concern.  As such, the majority of companies in any particular field lag far behind what Americans now consider “ideal.”  Those companies who have made strides toward lessening their impact on the environment often spend more money marketing themselves as green than they do on becoming more green – often hundreds of millions of dollars more.

Plain Silly
Many heads have been scratched while trying to understand the fuel-efficient sport utility vehicle.  The mere existence of organic cigarettes is offensive to even low-functioning thought processes.  One particular company made the decision to reduce the use of paper within its offices by storing files electronically.  This company announced this great stride in environmental responsibility to their customers through one of the most massive direct mail marketing campaigns they had ever launched. 

Fake Certifications
Creating an emblem, seal, or stamp of approval is a fairly simple process and many companies have done just that in an attempt to create credibility in the eyes of consumers.  Alarmingly deceitful, but unfortunately consumers put a great deal of value on a product that appears to have been legitimized by a third party.  Use your search engine and find out what this “certifying party” is all about.  If it takes more than a few minutes to find out their credentials, stop looking.  Credible certifying bodies won’t be hidden on the twelfth page of your search results.

Nonsensical Terms or Language
If a claim made by a company is truly valuable to the consumer, their marketing team will make certain it’s presented in terms the average shopper will understand.  In contrast, if the claim is irrelevant, deceitful, misleading or fraudulent, these same companies will rely on cryptic acronyms, vagueness or terminology that is meaningless to the average consumer.  Regardless of how boastful a company may be about being “X-free” or “made without Y”, if you don’t know what X or Y is, find out before you allow these claims to influence your buying decision.

Says You Claims
Any legitimate safety or environmentally related claim made by a company will be well-documented, easily verifiable and strongly supported by evidence.  Manufacturers invest a great deal of capital into creating and implementing formulas and processes that protect the health of the environment and the planet.  When this happens, a trail emerges that can be followed and verified.  Companies that cannot or will not provide the necessary information to support their claims most likely have none to offer. 

According to sinsofgreenwashing.org, consumers should adhere to the following guidelines when shopping for eco-friendly products.  

• If you can find products that are tested and certified by a reliable third-party like EcoLogo or Green Seal, you can trust that the products are genuinely greener products.
• When eco-labels aren’t available, support retailers and products that offer the most detailed information on products. Remember the Seven Sins and look for proof, explanations, and education. By choosing products with more details on green benefits, you will be more likely to find and support green products.