What is greenwashing?

It may have nothing to do with Green Lantern and his ring of power, although the concept is definitely related with corporations’ power and their impact on the planet.

So let’s say you’re part of an small or big company that is looking to get green, sustainable, or just ‘eco’. But, do you know what is greenwashing?

Let’s hear it from Sustainability 2.0, the book:

“The term “greenwash” stems from the word “whitewash” (which means to gloss over or cover up
something) and is used pejoratively to describe certain marketing actions that some companies make
use of in seeking to somehow compensate for other actions that have “soiled” their brand image, due
to the negative impact of these actions on the environment.
A number of environmentalist organizations have concentrated their efforts on exposing and denouncing
“greenwashers”, to the point of actually creating rankings, such as America’s Ten Worst Greenwashers,
which, in 2002, was led by the makers of Kraft’s Post Selects cereals for promoting their product as
“natural” when they were, in fact, packaging “laboratory” cereals.
Actions like those of the companies included in this ranking are easily qualifi ed as “greenwashing”.
Others are not so easy.

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest corporation, with revenues of 315 billion dollars and more than 11 billion in
profits for 2006, is frequently accused of non-sustainable conduct. In reaction to this, the chain recently
launched a line of organic clothing and, in the process, became the world’s largest buyer of organic
cotton. Simultaneously, Wal-Mart kicked off its Sustainability 360 plan, which projects annual
investments of 500 million dollars with the aim of achieving a level of sustainable products equal to
20% of all products offered by its stores in just three years’ time. Whether this is a real change of values
or another case of “greenwashing”, the fact that 100 million people a week are being invited to consume
responsible products, and more than 60,000 suppliers to manufacture them, makes the impact of doing
business in this way clearly predictable on a worldwide scale.”

And the controversy is miles away from ending. Take a look at these useful articles to learn more:
Greenwashing on del.icio.us