Beware the Sins of the Greenwasher

Scott McDougall, president of TerraChoice, talks about the Six Sins of Greenwashing

A recent study conducted by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing called The Six Sins of Greenwashing found that of over 1000 common household items surveyed, 99% of them were guilty of at least one of the sins of greenwashing.

The Six Sins of Greenwashing are, in a nutshell:

Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off
Sin of No Proof
Sin of Vagueness
Sin of Irrelevance
Sin of Fibbing
Sin of The Lesser of Two Evils

A more complete explanation and example of each of the sins is available on the TerraChoice website.

What does all this mean for the consumer interested in using truly “greener” and more environmentally safe products? Is all green marketing just a bunch of hogwash or, more specifically, greenwash?

It is unfortunately true that many marketers simply climb up on the latest bandwagon passing through town to push the current craze. “Green” is fast becoming one of the hottest buzzwords and, as this study shows, there is no shortage of marketers ready to exploit the trusting consumer simply wishing to do the right thing. That’s too bad.

But it doesn’t mean we need to dismiss the whole notion entirely. Studies like this one will help bring more scrutiny to the marketplace. As TerraChoice president Scott McDougall says, “consumers should continue to shop for green products, but with a skeptical eye, not a jaundiced eye”.

There are legitimate ways to verify how green a product is; for instance, consumers can look for products with the EcoLogo or Green Seal.

Unscrupulous marketers exploiting the latest fad by making bogus claims to unwary consumers isn’t new. Our job as consumers is to to what we can to make sure their shameless greenwashing doesn’t pay.

Sources and Further Reading:
Times-Colonist
TriplePundit.com
Canada New Wire
Grist.org