Seven simple tips for spotting greenwashing

When it comes to buying products that tick the boxes for sustainability and ethics, I like to do my research. But a recent study found that 40% of green claims made online could be misleading consumers. So if you’re trying to make choices that are good for people and the planet, how do you know what to trust? And how can you tell when a company is making fake green claims?

This week, I’m sharing seven tips to help spot greenwashing…

But first, what is greenwashing?

In the past five years, 85% of consumers have shifted their buying habits to be more sustainable. That’s the good news.

The bad news? As companies catch on, we’re being hit with marketing messages claiming a product or brand is more ‘eco-friendly’ than it really is.

As businesses try to capitalise on the growing demand for low-impact products, we’re seeing more greenwashing where companies mislead consumers with ‘green’ claims that aren’t backed up.

Innocent drinks provides just one example…

In February 2022, the UK’s advertising regulator banned misleading adverts from drinks company Innocent. The adverts showed animated characters encouraging people to ‘get fixing up the planet’ by buying their drinks.

The regulator said the advert implied that buying Innocent’s products would have a positive environmental impact. Unsurprisingly, they found that was not the case. Innocent’s single-use plastic products (which included non-recycled plastic) did not have a net positive impact.

So how can you spot greenwashing?

When lots of companies are falsely promoting their environmental efforts, it’s easy to be deceived. But next time you’re unsure about a claim, these seven tips for spotting greenwashing could help…

1. Beware of buzzwords

Eco-friendly, green, natural, earth-friendly, non-toxic, plant-based – these are all words that tell you nothing about a business or product’s true environmental impact. Look beyond these vague terms for evidence that backs up the claims. Watch out for images or logos that give a false green impression too.

2. Check the label

The product label or online description should tell you what something is made of. Look at the small print so you can steer clear of products with harmful environmental impacts, such as foods with unsustainable palm oil or clothes made from petroleum-based polyester.

You can also learn more about a company’s environmental impact by looking at its website. If a brand is doing good, they’ll want to tell you about it. But if a brand has something to hide, it will be hard to find its eco-credentials.

3. Look for verification

See if the product is backed up by a reliable certification scheme. If a t-shirt says it's made from organic cotton, look for the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) logo. If a beauty product claims it's made from organic ingredients, look for a Soil Association stamp or ECOCERT symbol.

Does the company support any other projects? Maybe they donate a percentage of their sales revenue to environmental charities through the 1% for the Planet initiative. This could be a good sign of the company’s intentions.

4. Be resourceful

There are lots of apps and websites that can help you determine if a company’s practices are as responsible as they make out. Good on You, for example, provides thousands of sustainability ratings for fashion brands. And the B Corporation Directory will help you find certified B Corps around the world.

5. Think about the bigger picture

Over the years, big businesses have bought out smaller sustainable brands in what is now a growing trend of green acquisitions. Companies buy up green brands as a way of reaching their sustainability goals, targeting environmentally conscious consumers, or greenwashing their less-than-sustainable overall brand.

Take Innocent, for example. The drinks company is often thought of as one of the OG purpose-driven brands. But it’s now owned by Coca Cola, a company known for its unethical practices – not to mention it’s the world’s top plastic polluter too.

Knowing who the ultimate owner of a company is could help to understand the whole picture.

6. Consider the obvious

This one is common sense. Think about the product or service and consider if it could actually be sustainable. Can you take environmental claims on single-use plastic bottles seriously? Is a fast-fashion brand’s sustainable line anything more than hypocritical? Often the answers to our greenwashing questions are obvious.

7. Look to the final product

And finally, think about what happens when a product comes to the end of its life. If the label says compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable, what is it referring to? The product, the packaging, or both?

Check how and where you can dispose of the product too. Following backlash, McDonald’s had to redesign its ‘eco-friendly’ paper straws after it revealed they were too difficult to recycle and customers should put them in general waste. So remember that some ‘recyclable’ materials are not always that easy to recycle.

What other tips would you add? Have you spotted any greenwashing tactics recently? Let me know below…