Greenwashing: What
Every Eco-Friendly Consumer Needs to Know
For many
people, one part of being a responsible consumer
is to figure out which companies do their best
by the environment and then if at all possible
to give your money to them. You'll find that
this is an excellent way to choose where your
money goes and to do your part for the
environment. However, this method of choosing a
company has become well-known to marketers and
advertisers, and you'll find that there is a lot
of hype and some blatant lies, which is where we
get the term greenwashing from.
Essentially, greenwashing refers to the process
where the company spends far more time
advertising about how environmentally
responsible it is, rather than taking the steps
needed to be responsible. The term is derived
from the phrase whitewashing, where something is
made less negative than it really is, even if if
no change has been made and the end result is
still the same.
One of the most unfortunate aspects of
greenwashing is that it is quit difficult to
regulate. While there have been hearings by the
Federal Trade Commissions in Washington DC
regarding how terms like “green” can be used, it
will be some time before we have a hard and fast
definition of what a company needs to adhere to
and how they should act if they are going to
call themselves environmentally friendly. Until
these definitions are legalized and set into
motion, any company can call itself green, with
little or no consequences.
The question then becomes, how can you find out
if a company is greenwashing? The only answer at
this juncture in time is to do your own
research. You'll find that there are many
resources online and off that can help steer you
towards the companies that are really making a
difference, and moreover, you'll find that this
information will encourage you to make your own
decision. For instance, the University of Oregon
has teamed up with EnviroMedia Social Marketing
to create resources to help investors understand
the practices of the companies that they are
putting their money into.
When you are looking to make sure that the
choices that you make are really eco-friendly
and not just the results of a dedicated campaign
of greenwashing, take the time to do your own
research and come to your own conclusions, not
the ones that the marketers tell you are true.
You'll find that doing your own research can go
a long way towards making sure that your choices
suit your own philosophy. Related Articles:
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