Americans are gung-ho about going green, if recent surveys are any indication.
According to a poll released earlier this year by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Zogby, most citizens believe local efforts to “go green” will pay off for their communities by attracting new business, creating green-collar jobs and boosting the local economy.
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More than half of respondents -- 56 percent -- believe governments should become more environmentally friendly. Nearly half (48 percent) said they would be willing to pay higher taxes if the increase would fund eco-friendly improvements in their community.
In fact, many Americans are already taking conservation efforts into their own hands. In the same poll, 68 percent of those surveyed said they’ve already implemented water conservation measures in daily life. Another 53 percent would be willing to use mass transit if it were easily accessible from their homes and work.
Corporate America doesn’t want to be left out of the green fervor. Consumer product companies, energy conglomerates and retailers all want to tap into the eco-friendly trend. Some are going out on a limb to tout environmental selling points, a practice derisively known as greenwashing.
It’s in the wash
Greenwashing, according to a popular definition on Wikipedia, is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. The term isn’t new. It’s been around since the 90s. But it’s seeing more use these days as companies jump on the eco-friendly bandwagon.
It’s a practice that consumers far and wide are quickly tiring of. BT, a British information technology company, found that many consumers overseas are skeptical of corporate commitment to sustainability.
Eighty-four percent of companies surveyed believe it’s important to operate in a sustainable manner. However, only 3 percent of customers think businesses are being honest about efforts to be environmentally conscious, and 33 percent believe they exaggerate what they are doing.
“The research suggests
Sins emerge
Garden Center Magazine wasn’t able to uncover any surveys offering a snapshot of Americans’ views toward greenwashing. A “green paper” from Terrachoice Environmental Marketing in November 2007, however, has sparked a serious debate on-line.
Terrachoice conducted a survey of six category-leading big-box stores. The company identified 1,018 consumer products bearing 1,753 environmental claims. Of the 1,018 products examined, all but one made claims that are demonstrably false or that risk misleading intended audiences.
Based on the survey results, Terrachoice identified six patterns, which they dubbed the Six Sins of Greenwashing.
1. Sin of the hidden trade-off. Suggesting a product is green based on a single environmental attribute.
2. Sin of no proof. An environmental claim that can’t be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or reliable third-party certification.
3. Sin of vagueness. Claims that are so poorly defined or broad that real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by consumers.
4. Sin of irrelevance. Making a claim that may be truthful, but is unimportant and unhelpful to consumers.
5. Sin of fibbing. Making claims that are simply false.
6. Sin of lesser of two evils. Green claims that may be true within a product category, but risk distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impact of the category as a whole.
Discussion commences
The six sins outlined by Terrachoice are frequently being cited in online discussions. Several Web sites have cropped up in recent months that are taking marketers to task for insincere green claims.
EnviroMedia launched the Greenwashing Index earlier this year (http:///greenwashingindex.com). The site asks visitors to submit ads with environmental claims and then rate them based on accuracy. So far, online forums are one of the few places consumers can dissect the validity of green claims. The mainstream media is just beginning to scrutinize eco-friendly marketing claims.
Environmental advocates are warning companies to expect questions about green messages as the public becomes more educated.
“It’s time for companies to realize consumers are not going to fall for false, exaggerated or misleading green claims,” said Valerie Davis, founder of EnviroMedia. “Consumers are about to get angry and smarter about which green advertising claims to believe.”
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For more: Terrachoice Environmental Marketing, (800) 478-0399; www.terrachoice.com. EnviroMedia, (512) 476-4368; http://greenwashingindex.com.
- Sarah Martinez
April 2008