Greenwashing: the fake environmentalism from which to learn to defend
All that glitters is not gold and all that is green is not ecological. It is through the adaptation of an old proverb that we could explain the meaning of greenwashing, a communication strategy with which prestigious multinationals and famous brands have simulated an environmental change with the sole aim of attracting more customers and increasing sales. In this article, you will we will explain in detail the meaning of this phenomenon, the consequences and how to defend against its hypocrisy.
Before reading, watch this video and find out the names of the celebrities who have stood out for their activism.
The definition of greenwashing
The term greenwashing is an English neologism that arises from the synchrony between the adjective green (green, a color that over the years has become the symbol of ecology given its reference to nature) and the verb whitewashing (which can mean both "whiten" both conceal and conceal). More precisely, it is a phenomenon, in Italy also known as "facade ecology" or "facade environmentalism", which is increasingly widespread for which large brands, institutions and organizations are "dyed green", that is, they pretend to adopt a sustainable behavior from the ecological point of view only to divert the attention of public opinion from the negative impact that its production chain has on the environment.
In general, greenwashing is a misleading practice as well as a mere communication strategy adopted by any company that boasts environmental policies to protect the ecosystem which, however, are not reflected in the facts, only to expand its consumer base. lies in the fact that, very often, the conduct of these realities is far from the principles of sustainability falsely advocated during advertising campaigns aimed at selling their products.
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How it was born
The first to sniff out and unmask an episode of greenwashing was Jay Westerveld. In 1986, the US environmentalist denounced some hotel chains that, in an attempt to reduce the disproportionate use of towels by customers, had implemented a strategy to raise awareness of the impact that washing them would have entailed. In reality, their concern was strictly economic in nature, thus wanting to save on energy costs and on the purchase of new sheets.
However, it was already in the 1960s that advertiser Jerry Mander recognized this marketing strategy, calling it "ecopornography". In fact, man had realized that more and more industries were trying to gain credibility, showing themselves more attentive to environmental protection but without any tangible actions following the proclamations.
Today greenwashing is a widespread phenomenon all over the world, but increasingly less credible, since the average consumer is more circumspect and sensitive to the ecological question than in the past.
Environmentalism or pure marketing strategy?
As we have just highlighted, greenwashing is a real marketing strategy aimed at conveying a distorted image of the company, emphasizing an eco-friendly side that often does not match the reality of the facts. This practice is purely commercial as it is aimed at attracting those consumers who are more attentive to the green aspect, who make their purchases based on this prerequisite. So it goes without saying that the purpose of greenwashing is only one and has nothing to do with the environment and sustainability, but rather with the considerable growth in turnover. Objective achievable only by attracting new customers, convinced to invest in that particular product or service thanks to the distorted image of a brand actively engaged in environmental protection policies. As this is marketing, the consumer, now totally manipulated by the greenwashing operation, is led to believe that he cares about respect for the environment, when the only and real interest is aimed solely and exclusively at his own economic advantage. In fact, it is more convenient for companies to invest in phony advertising than in serious corporate policies aimed at safeguarding the planet.
The consequences of "façade ecologism."
As with all situations shrouded in lies, sooner or later all the knots come to a head and this also applies to greenwashing. While companies use this practice to earn more and improve brand reputation, greenwashing could prove to be a double-edged sword in the long run and backfire. Consumers who are more attentive to impact and environmental protection will certainly not go unnoticed by the fallacies underlying this communication solution, going so far as to publicly denounce the lack of information and data, often unreliable and vague, which demonstrate the sustainability of the advertised products. In addition to the absence of reliable sources, the tendency of many brands to focus only on certain characteristics of the product, omitting others that, on the contrary, would bring out the hypocrisy at the basis of advertising. artificially made eco-friendly. In the long run, this mismatch between the concrete activities of the company and the messages communicated for advertising purposes will only scare away customers and investors, both old and potential.
Greenwashing vs. Greenmarketing
A concept that is often mistakenly confused with greenwashing is that of greenmarketing. In this case, we are faced with a real commitment on the part of companies to reduce their impact, thinking of production strategies that are not a source of waste or pollution. The ecological transition at the basis of green marketing is not dictated by the need to increase sales, but rather by the desire to protect the planet and the unfortunately limited resources found there in order to improve the quality of life of the present community and generations. future.
Some examples
To date, it is possible to count more than one example of greenwashing by large companies and institutions that, through deliberately unfounded and hypocritical forms of communication, have sponsored a product, claiming it to be ecological and sustainable when it was not at all. This is the case of a well-known multinational active in the oil, energy and petrochemical sector which, during an advertising campaign, leveraged an alternative source which later proved to be even more polluting than those already widely exploited by their business. Another example is given to us by some water brands that have advertised the introduction of "zero impact" bottles, without, however, being able to deliver on the promise in practice.
The role of Italy
Having become aware of the spread of this phenomenon, even in Italy the legislative system has introduced some provisions aimed at blocking misleading advertisements in the bud. The initiative promoted by the Advertising Self-Regulation Institute dates back to 2014 to discourage companies from extolling bogus environmental concerns, arguing that: "Commercial communication that declares or evokes benefits of an environmental or ecological nature must be based on truthful, relevant and scientifically verifiable data. This communication must make it possible to clearly understand which aspect of the advertised product or activity the benefits claimed refer to ". In this sense, the EMAS and ISO 140001 labels that certify the sustainability of certain products play a fundamental role.
How to defend yourself from facade environmentalism
There are several solutions with which the consumer can defend himself from this trend and not fall into the trap of façade environmentalism, such as:
- Make informed purchases
- Find all information regarding self-styled environmental brands
- Verify the veracity of certain certifications
- Be wary of the vagueness of some proclamations
- Visit sites such as TerraChoice, Futerra, Greenwashingindex and GoodGuide to keep up to date on environmental issues and understand which commercial realities you can really trust to shop in a sustainable way
