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‘The What, Why, Where and How of Greenwashing
Presented by
Daragh Anglim
RealEyes Sustainability ltd
What is ‘Greenwashing?
• The deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company’s policies or products are environmentally friendly (wikipedia)
• Marketing strategies used by companies and advertisers to influence consumers into thinking the product and/or company is environmentally friendly
…But what is Green?
• How do we define…Green…Environmentally Friendly… Sustainable…
Retailers and Brands
• Increasingly retailers, brands and products are going ‘Green’
• Why?
• What’s driving it?
Spend on Green products
Greenwashing results 2010
http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/
Reality v Perception
Reality v Perception
Greenest Brands
Consumer demand
• Why are we demanding it?
• What’s driving the market?
• Guilt? Knowledge? Awareness? Fashion? Trends? Powerlessness? Make a difference
• What are we looking for?
The role of Eco Labels
• Information on products environmental impact
• Allow us to make an educated decision
• Only source of info at point of purchase
• A tool to help us decide
How to choose?
• How do we make our choice?
• What is our criteria?– Social, Environmental, Ethical, psychological?
• What’s important? What are we looking for?
• How do we evaluate what’s on the shelf?
Giving us what we want?
• What do we want?
• What are we Really looking for?
Certification to evaluate purchase?
Green Terms?
Choices, Choices
What do they all mean?
How to Identify Greenwashing
http://www.futerra.co.uk/downloads/Greenwash_Guide.pdf
The sins of Greenwashing
Group exercise
• Where’s the Greenwash in this ad?
• Spot the Sin(s)
Just not credible?
Fluffy Language
Irrelevant claims
Green Product v Green co?
Suggestive Pictures
Gobbledygook
Best in class
Green products v dirty co
Fluffy Language
Greenwashing results 2010
http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/
Greenwashing results 2010
http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/
Why do brands sin?
Forgive them for they know not what they do…?
• Naivety
• Sloppiness
• Opportunity/ Demand
• Mistake
• Lying
DEFRA Guidance for Marketing
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/documents/green-claims-guidance.PDF
How should we react?
• Punish and condemn?
• Scold but encourage?
• Celebrate the small wins?
• ‘Could do better’
Communicating with brands
• How do we engage with brands to stop Greenwashing?
• Channels - regulator, social media, directly…
• Criticism or constructive criticism
• Suggestions?
The power is in our hands
… and the responsibility?
