GREENWASHING

This phenomenon should be well-known by now.

Greenwashing is a practise companies or organizations use to appear environmentally friendly, in order to mislead consumers.

Even though the term was coined in 1986, it actually dates back to the 1960's. When Westinghouse's nuclear power division was threatened by the anti-nuclear movement, it fought back with ads that proclaimed the safety and cleanliness of nuclear power plants. The company managed to produce large amounts of cheap electricity, but the ads ignored the environmental impact of nuclear waste.

Since then, there have been a lot of companies that have engaged in greenwashing. For example, in the mid-1980's, oil company Chevron, released a series of ads to show its environmental dedication. While the campaign ran, the company was violating the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and was spilling oil into wildlife refuges.

Another incident happened in 1991, when chemical company DuPont used ads featuring marine animals, in order to announce its double-hulled oil tanker. It turned out that the company was the largest corporate polluter in the US that year.

It is worth mentioning that by the early 1990’s, consumers were showing a lot more interest about the environment. Since then, the trend has increased. Including millennials, 72% of global consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products. With that in mind, fashion companies have adopted this unethical practise. The lack of clear definition, the use of terms such as "eco-friendly" or "ethical", and the insufficient public awareness, have caused fashion brands to grow rapidly.

In order to spot greenwashing, you just have to be careful. Some of the signs that you have to look out for are:

• THE USE OF COLOUR GREEN

An easy way for the companies to allude that their product is clean, is the use of the colour green. If you happen to come across a product like that, without any proof, then you have seen greenwashing.

• THE USE OF TERMS SUCH AS "VEGAN" AND "RECYCLABLE"

Even if the company is using the word "vegan" to describe their product, it doesn't mean that the product is safe for the environment. Also, a lot of times, when a product says it's recyclable, the company could be indicating that the package it came in is recyclable, and not the product itself.

• THE EXCLUSION OF MATERIAL INFORMATION

Many companies use "free of" claims, so that their product seems more inviting , in comparison to other products that state compounds and chemicals.