supportGreen washing
Definition :
Green washing is a term used to describe the practice of companies disingenuously promoting their products and policies as environmentally friendly. For example, actively highlighting that materials and products used are environmentally friendly, when they are not. Green washing is the deceptive use of green PR or green marketing.
The term green washing is used to describe companies that attempt to show that they are adopting practices beneficial to the environment.
It is summarised by: "the outwardly environmentally conscientious acts with a greater, underlying purpose of profit increase".
Green washing is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green, as apposed to the actual act of spending resources on environmentally sound practices. Examples include the changing of a product name, to updates to its label, to give the feeling of nature and green-friendly implications. E.g. putting an image of a forest on a bottle containing harmful chemicals.
Green washing is the unjustified suggestion surrounding the environmental virtue by a company, to create a pro-environmental image.
Related information
- Visit our dedicated 'Your route to green communications' page on our dedicated microsite. Learn how to achieve your green objectives.
- Download 'Realising the benefits of going green' - an Experian QAS green paper.
- Or view our video - 'How green is your marketing?'
