Greenwash – It’s all hogwash

By Dilaila Mohd Yunus

As more and more consumers are getting increasingly concerned with the dangers of global warming, the need for environmentally-friendly products and services have increased.  As a result, some corporations are turning to greenwashing to position themselves as green corporations in order to get a big chunk of the market share.

What is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing refers to any form of marketing or public relations of a political, religious or non-profit organisation that mislead consumers regarding the environmental practices of the company; or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

In short, greenwashing is when a corporation positions itself or its products as ‘green’ when they are not.

What is wrong with greenwashing?

Misleading

Greenwashing is morally and ethically wrong. The degree of deceit range from omission of fact to absurd claims and outright lies.

Living a lie

If one company gets away with greenwashing, it gives other companies the permission and incentive to follow suit. This in effect would create an industry-wide illusion of environmental sustainability. As a result, consumers will be tricked into using environmentally-degrading products, while Earth continues to suffer.

Stunt growth

As more products with fake environmental claims penetrate the marketplace, the stiff competition will stunt the growth of genuine green products. Unethical manufacturers will just take a shortcut to reap the benefits now rather than investing in the time and effort to produce authentic green products.

Disappoint consumers

Once a consumer starts to mistrust an organisation, he or she won’t be coming back. You’ll lose substantial business in the long run from consumers who are genuinely looking for environmentally-friendly products.

Death of a potentially lucrative market share

Recurring bad experience will lead to cynicism and doubt on all environmental claims. This will be the death of the green product market. Manufacturers will suffer.

How not to greenwash

Don’t just highlight one attribute of the product

Some companies highlight a particular attribute that is environment-friendly while omitting to mention others which are clearly not.

The supposedly green doll is a case in point. They are made of plastic and wrapped in more plastic, even if the accessories are made from re-purposed excess fabrics and trimmings from other dolls.

Don’t claim without proof

Anyone can claim their products are environmentally-friendly. It’s the substantiated proof that matters.

Don’t make vague claims

Take the so-called pure and natural line of diapers. The only difference between regular diapers and this version is just a small piece of organic cotton.

Don’t make irrelevant claims

For example, what’s the point of saying your product is CFC-free when CFC has already been banned anyway?

Don’t make claims that are outright lies

An oil and gas company, for instance, falsely advertised that the air we breathe is getting better, not worse.

Clear the hogwash from Greenwashing

At the end of the day, the main way to eliminate the practice of greenwashing is to really believe in the preservation of the earth. When a manufacturer or organisation adopts this approach, genuine efforts will be made to produce green products right from inception stage.

Then and only then can we see transparency, honesty and patience in the production of genuine environmentally-friendly products.

The writer is an international award-winning KL-based creative consultant with more than a decade’s experience in some of Malaysia’s most prominent advertising agencies and now runs In Other Words.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Facebook Reddit Stumble This Post

Transparency International Malaysia Wants Details of Procurement Contracts

Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) recently called on the Malaysian government to implement the key initiatives identified by PEMANDU to improve transparency and accountability, specifically to disclose details of procurement contracts. Read more

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Facebook Reddit Stumble This Post

M’sian Govt-Linked Companies Probed By Public Accountant

Malaysiakini reported recently that management of Sime Darby Sdn Bhd and Pos Malaysia Bhd, two Malaysian government-linked companies, are set to be called up by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to give account for their companies’ losses. Read more

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Facebook Reddit Stumble This Post

Third Anti-Corruption South & SE Asia Summit

Ethical Beacon’s Third Anti-Corruption South & SE Asia Summit will be taking place in Singapore 14 – 16 September 2010. The three-day conference and workshops will gather representatives from the US, UK & Southern Asian governments giving key trend updates on regulations governing anti-corruption and how these affect both global and regional activity. Read more

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Facebook Reddit Stumble This Post

Malaysia’s Oldest Conglomerate Investigated For Possible Corruption

The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission will investigate possible graft at Sime Darby Berhad, Malaysia’s oldest and largest conglomerate. The company recently announced that  it would post its first ever loss when it announces its third-quarter results soon. Read more

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Facebook Reddit Stumble This Post

MyProcurement Portal Raises Eyebrows

The newly launched MyProcurement Portal has raised a number of questions on corporations receiving government contracts in Malaysia. Parliamentarian, Tony Pua, recently called on the authorities to investigate four contracts which were awarded by the Education Ministry, the Royal Malaysian Police and the Defence Ministry. Read more

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Facebook Reddit Stumble This Post

Say No To Political Fund-Raising From Logging

Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) recently urged the Malaysian government to reduce the strong links between state financing and forest management, according to Malaysiakini. TI-M president, Paul Low, was reported to have said this at a Forest Governance Integrity (FGI) workshop on 25 Feb 2010.

Low was reported to have said that this move would ensure that forest management is conducted in a sustainable and acceptable manner. According to Low, it is likely that abuses will occur and the forest exploited if political parties rely on timber resources for funding. At the workshop, Low reminded that corruption is “not just about bribery but the abuse of power entrusted by the people for financial and personal gain”, according to the news portal.

In response to politicians having stakes in logging businesses, Low was quoted as saying:

They have to make a choice of either being in the business of exploiting timber or in Parliament looking after the interest of the people.

He added that timber concessions should be open to public tender, with strict terms to be observed in the selection of companies.

When asked what was the biggest criticism regarding our forest management, Low was quoted as having said:

We do hear of abuses in East Malaysia of illegal logging and the exploitation of Orang Asli.

Low also expressed disappointment in the lack of citizens’ participation in forestry lawmaking, urging civil societies to be more proactive and be at the forefront of tackling graft.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Facebook Reddit Stumble This Post

Next Page »