Greenwashing without even trying

Some companies think they can jump on the green bandwagon (thereby sharing in the dramatically increasing sales in the green market) without really trying.  We wrote about steps to greenwash your product here.  But some companies don’t even read our guide and trying half-assed, half-witted attempts at greening their products.  Cracked did a lovely job of calling out 6 half-assed attempts at greenwashing here.

Fur Industry Greenwashing

Seriously?  The Fur Council of Canada has the nerve to call the sale of fur an “ecological choice in harmony with nature”.  Last time we checked, the processing of fur requires the death of an animal.  There is no amount of carbon credit or offset you can purchase to make fur an environmentally friendly clothing option.

Among their claims: “If we don’t use part of what nature produces, we will use petroleum-based synthetics or other materials that may damage the environment…”

Read more about this afront to the environmental movement.

How to greenwash in four easy steps

This post is written in a sarcastic tone.  We apologize if anyone is offended but it was necessary to write in this tone to get the message across.  The Greenwashing Blog is all about greenwashing.  Greenwashing is the act of making misleading claims about environmental friendliness.  If you’re a business without morals or ethics, here is your very helpful guide on how to greenwash your product.

1. Redesign your label to include the color green, leaves, trees, or the recycle symbol.
2. Change the name of your product to include the words “eco, green, or enviro”.  (For example: a Widget becomes an Eco-Widget)
3. Market your product in green living magazines and websites like Treehugger.com, Grist.org or WebEcoist.com.  Their eco-conscious readers will assume your product is environmentally friendly just because it’s on their favorite green blog.
4. Describe your product with an eco-friendly spin.  For example, “Go Green with this crude oil burning SUV!”  Sounds nice and eco-friendly doesn’t it?

There! Your product is now a complete greenwash!

“Going Green” is not a new concept

This is a stretch from actual greenwashing but is close enough that we thought it to be a good topic to bring up.  This whole idea of “going green” is not a new concept.  Many of us see this as a recent trend… a movement even.  However our elders have “gone green” quite a bit.  Perhaps not with the whole industrial revolution period, but in other ways.  Here’s what we mean:

• Drying clothes on a line instead of in the clothes dryer.  (This was an economic choice more than an environmental one, but it’s the result that matters)
• Paper towels are a new thing.  Our parents and grandparents used cloth towels over and over.
• They bought second hand.  Not everyone did, but it was a much more common way to save a few bucks.  With the advent of Craigslist and Freecycle, this should be a bigger tool of the eco-conscious.
• Remember Victory Gardens?  We don’t either, but learned about them in school.  Growing your own food is one of the biggest steps a consumer can take to green their diet and our forefathers relied much more on their own food.
• Canning use to be a bigger thing than it is today.  Along with growing your own food, storing it long term is a very eco-conscious step that was taken by our elders.
• Making your own clothes/mending clothes was a no-brainer yesterday.  Today we tend to think “time for a new one”.
• Our grandparents cleaned with things like Vinegar, not Magic Erasers (who knows what they put in that thing to make it “magic”.
• Reuse and repurpose – again, a standard practice in the old days.  Now our culture tends to look at new things as the only option.  Heck, we even have things for which there is no practical need just because someone on TV said we needed it. (Read: plastic christmas tree garland holders)
• And finally: turning the thermostat down.  Heat = money my grandfather might have said.  We are a little spoiled now with our heaters, air conditioners, air filters and ionizers.    Instead of turning the heat up, go put on a sweater you just mended and eat some canned peaches.

Source: The Huffington Post

Sylvania EcoBright Greenwashed Bulbs

The CFL (compact fluorescent lights) thing is really overdone.  That is the go-to go-green tip and the first thing people say when defending their greenness.

However Sylvania took it to the next level by offering an “EcoBright” bulb for headlights.  Good rule of thumb: if it says “eco” in the name, it’s probably not.

The bulb apparently reduces watt usage by 9-21%.  However, the watts used to power headlights generated by the alternator in your car is negligable at best.  Therefore this wattage savings is hardly helpful, let alone “eco friendly”.

Read more at Sylvania’s website.