exploring the use of online experiences and technology to
‘green-up’ the people who live on this planet

To “wash the greenwashers” by…

1. Helping consumers shop smarter for sustainable products and services.
2. Allowing businesses to compare their performance.
3. Influencing business to compete on sustainability.

Greenwash is a term used to describe the perception of consumers that they are being misled by a company regarding the environmental practices of the company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. It is a deceptive use of green marketing.

The Six Sins

In December 2007, US environmental marketing firm TerraChoice gained national press coverage for releasing a study called “The Six Sins of Greenwashing,” which found that more than 99% of 1,018 common consumer products randomly surveyed for the study were guilty of greenwashing. A total of 1,753 environmental claims made, with some products having more than one, and out of the 1,018 studied only one was found not guilty of making a false or misleading green marketing claim. The 6 Sins of Greenwashing (PDF)

According to the study, the six sins of greenwashing are:

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: e.g. “Energy-efficient” electronics that contain hazardous materials. 998 products and 57% of all environmental claims committed this Sin.
2. Sin of No Proof: e.g. Shampoos claiming to be “certified organic,” but with no verifiable certification. 454 products and 26% of environmental claims committed this Sin.
3. Sin of Vagueness: e.g. Products claiming to be 100% natural when many naturally-occurring substances are hazardous, like arsenic and formaldehyde (see appeal to nature). Seen in 196 products or 11% of environmental claims.
4. Sin of Irrelevance: e.g. Products claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago. This Sin was seen in 78 products and 4% of environmental claims.
5. Sin of Fibbing: e.g. Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognized environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal. Found in 10 products or less than 1% of environmental claims.
6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils: e.g. Organic cigarettes or “environmentally friendly” pesticides, This occurred in 17 products or 1% of environmental claims.

Learn More

• How Greenwashing Works at HowStuffWorks
• CHOICE Green Watch - Consumer campaign to dob in dodgy green claims
• The Greenwash Guide - Avoiding greenwash - developed by sustainability communications agency Futerra
• Greenwashing Index - A site to post and rate green advertising to help consumers identify greenwashing
• StopGreenwash.org View and Rate the Latest Greenwashing Ads
• Beware of Greenwashing: Not All Environmental Claims are Meaningful - How to avoid being fooled
• Questioning "corporate social responsibility" - Greenwashing article from London's Southern OnTrack magazine
• Greenwashing Junk Food
• What is Greenwashing, and Why is it a Problem?"
• "Rewarding genuine green companies and shaming greenwashers"
• Article on misleading wording in public policy
• Article on greenwashing with photographic examples from Clorox, Nestle, Swiffer, British Petroleum, Nescafe, Procter & Gamble and more...