Hey everyone, can you believe it’s been three months since my first post on environmental pollution? It has been such a journey. I hope that my posts have enriched your understanding about the environmental, social, economic and political aspects of the fashion and beauty industry!
To round things up, I would like to dedicate this last week of posts to remind us to be critical of the information marketed by businesses of these industries. Specifically, I would like to share on the practice of greenwashing.
What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing occurs when a company markets themselves to be environmentally friendly without actually implementing any effort to be sustainable (Edwards, 2022). As consumers are increasingly aware of the impacts of their purchase, products tagged as ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘sustainable’ have become extremely popular (Baum, 2012; Parguel et al., 2015).
In response to the growing demand for these environmentally friendly products, many businesses have incorporated these factors into their branding, hoping to capture such audiences. However, Schmuck et al. (2018) note how many of such claims are simply an act of greenwashing, where consumers are misled regarding the environmental benefits of a product or service. Related closely, is also the idea of green advertising, where companies promote themselves as environmentally conscious businesses, but may not necessarily live up to the expected standards(ibid.).
It is important that we raise awareness towards the practices of greenwashing. Parguel et al. (2015) warn us that even consumers with expertise in environmental matters often fall under these misconceptions and advertisements, so what more can we conclude about the extent of deception for normal consumers like us?
(Source: https://www.ecowatch.com/greenwashing-guide-2655331542.html)
For example, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) was a Singaporean NGO that claimed to have spent $1.5 billion on cleaning up plastic waste in developing countries. Backed by large oil players such as Shell and ExxonMobil, these companies could use their sponsorship to the AEPW as a form of green advertising, marketing themselves as accountable businesses that are doing their part in improving the environment. However, as exposed by Reuters, the campaign turned out to be an abandoned project that actually caused the usage of more plastic during its procession.
Other than being unethical for making false claims, greenwashing is also damaging as businesses are enabled to continuously perpetuate their unsustainable practices. If left in the dark, consumers will continue to support these companies and even increase their demand, leading to even larger rates of impact on the environment.
Coming Up
I hope you have enjoyed this week’s post on greenwashing. This is a problem that applies to many businesses as a whole, and not just the fashion and beauty industry. For an interesting documentary, do check out the greenwashing story of Fiji Water in the video below.
In my next few posts, I will be providing examples specific to fashion and cosmetics, highlighting how some big brands within these industries have been using greenwashing to mask the impacts of their practices.
Stay tuned and stay concerned,
Hui Jie
References
Baum, L. M. (2012). It's not easy being green… or is it? A content analysis of environmental claims in magazine advertisements from the United States and United Kingdom. Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture, 6(4), 423-440.
Brock, J., Geddie, J., & Sharma, S. (2021, January 8). Big Oil’s flagship plastic waste project sinks on the Ganges. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/environment-plastic/big-oils-flagship-plastic-waste-project-sinks-on-the-ganges
Edwards, C. (2022, February 25). What is Greenwashing?. Business News Daily. Retrieved from https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10946-greenwashing.html.
-idUSKBN29N028.
Parguel, B., Benoit-Moreau, F., & Russell, C. A. (2015). Can evoking nature in advertising mislead consumers? The power of ‘executional greenwashing'. International Journal of Advertising, 34(1), 107-134.
Schmuck, D., Matthes, J., & Naderer, B. (2018). Misleading consumers with green advertising? An affect–reason–involvement account of greenwashing effects in environmental advertising. Journal of Advertising, 47(2), 127-145.
Our Changing Climate. (n.d.). Greenwashing: A Fiji Water Story. [Video]. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOpa8kd6fBI.