The Bite:
It would help. Greenwashing is the practice where a company tries to make it seem like it's greener than it actually is. Knowing what to look for helps avoid buying into not-so-squeaky-clean claims.
Do some advertising campaigns need a good scrub?
02.28.2008
Submitted by tmeronek on Thu, 02/28/2008 - 1:01am.
The Benefits:
- Avoiding dirty tricks. By taking a little time to check ingredients lists and by picking the products you buy carefully, you'll get more for your money than just marketing claims.
- Supporting companies with clean acts. When you skip the greenwashed products for the really green stuff, you stimulate demand for truly eco goods.
Personally Speaking:
The SF office has a "Greenwashing Hall of Shame," where we post ads that are clearly greenwashing. Our first inductees were all bottled water companies with nature-themed ads.
Wanna Try:
- Co-op America Responsible Shopper - lets you know where major companies stand on the social responsibility and environmental fronts.
- EnviroMedia Greenwashing Index - rate real ads by whether you think they're greenwashing or not.
- CorpWatch Greenwashing Awards - nominate companies that greenwash for this less-than-desirable bimonthly award.
- Keep reading the tips to find out about companies that pass Ideal Bite sustainability criteria (no greenwashing allowed).
Cocktail Fact
An upset John Lennon broke a washboard over a pre-Beatles bandmate's head; he later apologized by buying the guy a supermarket.
Bang For The Bite
Getting smart about the companies we buy from is one of the best ways to make sure we get what we pay for.
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