Walking the aisles of Target recently, I noticed some loofahs marketed as eco-friendly. They were being sold by a brand with “eco” in its name and tagged with green cards, claiming they were made out of recycled netting.

But there was no specificity to that claim. And, really, a loofah is just a hunk of plastic — one that can’t be traditionally recycled (although we love how this person cut up their old loofah into produce bags).

“Ever wonder about a brand’s sustainability claims while you’re shopping?”

Ever wonder about a brand’s sustainability claims while you’re shopping? We do, all the time. Covering sustainable brands comes with learning all about the claims companies make and the certifications they use to back up those claims.

It also comes with keeping an eye out for greenwashing. Like when a brand says its products are made of recycled materials, but the consumers have no way of knowing what exactly they mean by that. Or when a fossil fuel company emphasizes its (minimal) renewable energy initiatives. Or, sometimes, when a company puts their products in green packaging with pictures of leaves on it — and that’s it.

What is greenwashing?

Coined by New York environmental activist Jay Westerveld in a 1986 essay, the term “greenwashing” refers to a misleading strategy that companies use to seem more eco-friendly than they really are.

“The term ‘greenwashing’ refers to a misleading strategy that companies use to seem more eco-friendly than they really are.”

“Greenwashing is a deceptive marketing tactic that companies use to prey on consumers’ desires to purchase products that have minimal environmental impacts,” explains Peter Blair, the policy and advocacy director at Just Zero, a nonprofit focused on advancing community-centered zero waste solutions across the country.

Instead of actually making a product more eco-friendly or engaging in more sustainable business practices, some companies just use illusions. At their most harmless, a brand’s greenwashing tactics might look like using the “eco” prefix or putting their products in brown or green packaging — tactics that are annoying, but easy enough to see through. 

How can you spot greenwashing?

“If you literally put something in green, more ‘natural-looking’ packaging, a certain kind of consumer is more likely to buy it, and you can even charge more for it,” says Jonathan White, a lawyer at ClientEarth. “Things are often labeled as ‘eco’ or ‘sustainable’ without those terms actually having any real meaning.”

Blair says that one of the most pervasive forms of greenwashing today comes in the marketing of plastic packaging. The public has been told for decades, he says, that plastic packaging is fine because it’s recyclable. But studies have found that only around 9% of plastic actually gets recycled, and the same piece of plastic can only be recycled two or three times before it degrades past the point of usability.

“As public awareness of greenwashing grows, a company’s ability to get away with it shrinks.”

As public awareness of greenwashing grows, a company’s ability to get away with it shrinks. Recently, the US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. with making inaccurate statements about the recyclability of its plastic coffee pods.

“The company had claimed its pods were recyclable but failed to disclose the two largest US recycling companies expressed concerns about these claims and did not intend to accept them for recycling,” says White.

Blair notes that some companies call their plastic packaging “biodegradable” or “compostable,” which is also a bit deceiving. “Not only do most Americans not have access to facilities that can replicate these conditions,” he says, but when they do biodegrade they still create microplastics.

Other misused terms that greenwashers take advantage of? Unregulated ones like “green,” “degradable,” “sustainable,” “environmentally friendly,” or “recyclable.” While these terms aren’t always misleading, they’re used to deceive too often for comfort — so don’t consider them a panacea that absolves a brand of accountability when it comes to sustainable practices. 

Some words have more weight behind them, though. The term “organic” is regulated, while something like “natural” or “clean” is not.

“The term ‘organic’ is regulated, while something like ‘natural’ or ‘clean’ is not.”

“Marketing goods and services as ‘carbon neutral’ is a particular red flag, and is often applied to car petrol, home electricity and gas or aviation,” explains White. 

At the most harmful end, greenwashing looks like Exxon Mobil or Chevron — companies that make huge profits producing the fossil fuels that have led us to the climate crisis — misleading consumers about what they’re doing (or not doing) in the name of environmentalism. These companies might tout carbon capture technology as a silver bullet, or paint methane or hydrogen as clean energy alternatives along the lines of solar or wind energy — which they aren’t.

“These companies might tout carbon capture technology as a silver bullet, or paint methane or hydrogen as clean energy alternatives along the lines of solar or wind energy — which they aren’t.”

Comprising a team of lawyers and policy advocates, ClientEarth uses the law to hold large companies accountable for destructive practices, including greenwashing. Last year, they supported a case in the Netherlands that found that KLM Airlines engaged in illegal greenwashing that “gave consumers the impression that the airline is tackling climate change,” says White, “despite the fact its own plans for air traffic growth will only make the climate crisis worse.”

Other examples of high-stakes greenwashing? “A fossil fuel company might use images of renewable energy, like wind and solar, in its advertising,” says White, “when the majority of its business is still overwhelmingly focused on producing oil and gas.” Or a car company might tout its electric vehicles as a solution to creating a better future, “when the majority of its profits come from the sales of petrol-run cars.”

Why do companies greenwash?

The answer here is simple: Profit. “Companies greenwash because they know people are increasingly concerned about the environment,” says Blair, “and they want to use the concern to increase sales by marketing their products as environmentally friendly.” It’s a way to capture the profits from the environmentally conscious folks without having to make real changes. 

“Fossil fuel companies rely on a ‘social license’ for them to keep operating,” says White. “That is, they need the approval of wider society.” That’s why you might see a company reliant on deforestation or fossil fuel extraction “running an ad campaign on how hard they’re working to be the solution to climate change.”

Tips on how to avoid greenwashing:

Blair’s best advice to the everyday consumer looking to avoid falling into the greenwashing trap? “Think critically about the claims a company is making.”

“The general rule is the more specific and detailed the claim, the more likely it is to be true,” he says. And, conversely, the vaguer it is, the more likely it’s fluff made to help the brand seem more sustainable. 

“Consuming less and using what you already have is one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox for living more sustainably.”

There’s nuance here — sometimes a product is made with traceable, sustainably sourced ingredients, but it comes in plastic packaging. Many products aren’t all bad, but most aren’t all good, either. As exemplified by our recent deep dive into B Corps, not every B Corp does everything perfectly all the time. Consuming less and using what you already have is one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox for living more sustainably.

Blair makes another good point, too: “Consumers shouldn’t have to be a lie detector every time they go shopping,” he says. “What we really need is stronger federal laws and agencies that will actually go after companies for misleading and tricking consumers.”

Read on for a few tips to help you avoid greenwashing the next time you want to make an environmentally friendly purchase.

1. Look beyond green and brown packaging.

Companies, especially ones that make home goods or cosmetics, often package products in “natural” looking brown packaging or bags with green leaves on them. Instead, know what kind of packaging to actually care about. Maybe a company is committed to using plastic-free packaging, putting products instead in FSC-certified paper-only containers that can actually be recycled or composted. Now that’s a step in the right direction.

2. Avoid claims that lack specificity.

Buzzwordy claims tend to be vague — they sound good, but when you think about a phrase like “toxin-free,” it doesn’t mean much. “What toxins are we talking about?” says Blair. “Who is defining what is considered toxic or not?” Look instead for more specific language from a brand. “Claims that explicitly list the chemicals, like saying it is BPA or PFAS free, are more likely to be true.”

3. Think critically.

When reading up on a brand’s sustainability claims, don’t take everything you see at face value. Think about how the claims match up to the product, and whether or not the claims are clear and specific. “We use sustainably sourced cotton” is a lot less meaningful than a brand explaining where its cotton is grown, where it’s spun, and that it has a GOTS organic certification. When you’re in the market for something and if you have the time, take a deeper dive into what to look for when shopping for that specific product with sustainability in mind.

4. Consume mindfully.

As always, buying secondhand is usually more sustainable than buying new. And not buying a product at all is often the true eco-friendly choice. Continue to practice mindfulness as you choose how to vote with your dollar, and don’t let buzzwords immediately sway you into putting your money somewhere “good” — take a beat before any purchase you make.

Natalie Gale is a Boston-based freelance journalist. Since 2022, she has been reviewing the top sustainable home, wellness, fashion, and beauty products, sharing her honest opinion on the best finds. When she’s not writing about art, food, or sustainability, you can find her biking to the farmers’ market, baking, sewing, or planning her next Halloween costume. Say hi on Instagram!