Fifty shades of green

Fifty shades of green
  • Written by
  • Dee Ellwood

We’re getting the lowdown on ‘Greenwashing’: False claims, ill practises and helpful hints – from those in the know – to put into play year-round to avoid the dirty laundry.

Turning a greener hand to our spending habits is something many of us want to do more of. In fact, according to a recent global Nielson report, 66% of us are prepared to pay more for sustainable goods – with millennials (73%) the most willing.

However, swapping soaps, filling our string bags and buying New Zealand-made isn’t necessarily going to earn us our sustainable badge. Why? Because our ‘greener’ choices don’t always make the Fair Trade cut, and often what we perceive to be ‘eco-friendly’, has a darker side below its glowing exterior.

So, what exactly is greenwashing and how are we being duped? The term, coined in the 1980s by environmentalist Jay Westerfield, is a marketing ploy used to portray a product or activity as environmentally friendly, when it’s not. Putting a ‘green sheen’ on business is still common practise – New Zealand included. In 2009, a global TerraChoice Environmental Marketing study revealed only 2% of products labelling themselves as green are completely legit in their claims – the remaining 98%, not so much.

“When we talk about ‘greenwashing’ we’re referring to products or services that are ‘seen’ to be better than they actually are,” explains Kath Dewar, managing director of Goodsense. “You’d be surprised at the number of Kiwi companies who are guilty of it.”

Images of pristine waterways with mountainous backgrounds, artisan labelled promises, natural essence logos abound but more often than not, we’re buying into a reality that doesn’t exist.

“The use of ‘natural’ images makes us think something’s less toxic or less damaging. The words ‘artisan’ or ‘bespoke’ have connotations of care and thoughtfulness,” explains Dewar. “And unfortunately, greenwashing isn’t industry specific. Big business, small business, multinational – no one is exempt. One example is a well-known cheese label who presents as a boutique, organic, family-operated business, when in fact it’s owned by multinationals and uses palm oil in its products.”

The New Zealand Commerce Commission is working hard to tackle those that ‘blanket’ their products and activities with claims of sustainability and eco-friendliness, and bring them in line with the Fair Trade Act. As it stands, individuals and companies can be fined up to $200,000 for a breach in advertising.

Call to action

We too can avoid buying into false ideologies by making changes – even small ones – when purchasing and participating, says Dewar.

“You can set yourself goals for the week, month or year. One week you may choose to focus on packaging in your weekly shop – reading it more carefully or buying less plastic packaging. The next week choose to focus on a specific ingredient i.e. opt not to buy anything containing palm oil. The next week, focus on the bathroom section – research New Zealand companies that are Fair Trade certified and true to their ethos.”

Like one such Kiwi skincare company, Au Natural’s, who’s greener subscription mode is soaring in popularity. Consumers receive plant-based eco-refills every eight-weeks, which helps to reduce the 480 million single-use plastic bottles wasted every year.

“What we choose to purchase is one of the few areas of power we have,” says Dewar. “We can keep buying into slippery statements or we can respond, adapt and take a stand.”

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