Greenwashing – how companies deceive well-intentioned consumers

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing, also known as Green Sheen, is a form of advertising and marketing trickery that deceitfully employs green marketing to convince the public that an organization’s products, goals, and policies are environmentally friendly (Williams, 2024). Organizations engage in greenwashing to project an image of environmental responsibility to potential customers. Many corporations use greenwashing techniques to improve public perception of their products, capitalizing on consumers’ ecological guilt—an emotional drive to purchase from environmentally responsible producers (Sheehan, Lee, 2014).

Continue reading to learn how to avoid greenwashing and become a truly eco-conscious individual!

The seven sins of greenwashing – how to recognize it

TerraChoice, a UL environmental consultancy, identified seven sins of greenwashing in 2007 to help consumers spot products with misleading environmental claims:

• hidden trade-off: claiming a product is green based on a few characteristics while ignoring critical ecological concerns,
• no proof: claims unsupported by easily accessible information or reliable certification,
• vagueness: poorly defined or overly broad claims that are likely to mislead consumers (e.g., stating a product is “completely natural” does not guarantee its environmental friendliness),
• use of false labels: claims that, through words or visuals, give the impression of third-party endorsement where none exists,
• irrelevance: claims that may be true but are irrelevant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally friendly products,
• lesser of two evils: claims that may hold true for a product but distract from the larger environmental harm caused by its production,
• fibbing: claims that are outright false.

By 2010, it was found that about 95% of consumer products in the U.S. marketed as “green” committed at least one of these sins (Gelles, 2010).

Greenwashing in fast fashion – “eco-friendly” often falls short

To create an illusion of sustainability and environmental responsibility, greenwashing in fashion relies on strategies like labeling products as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” without factual backing. Such claims often apply to a small product line, while the majority of products follow conventional, unsustainable practices. These terms are often vague, lacking concrete evidence, making it difficult for consumers to assess the impact of a product or brand. The unfortunate part of this is that consumers tend to fear brands that are truly sustainable due to the existence of greenwashing in fashion. As a result, the genuine efforts of environmentally conscious brands go unrecognized (Singh, 2024).

Furthermore, the practice of selective promotion is increasingly common, in which an organization presents itself as environmentally conscious based on the way it produces certain products, while the rest, i.e. the majority of the company’s other products, are still produced using traditional processes in the fast fashion industry. An example is Zara’s Join Life collection, which touts eco-conscious production methods but represents only a fraction of Zara’s overall product line. Most of Zara’s items are still produced using fast fashion’s traditional processes, characterized by rapid production cycles, extensive resource consumption, and significant waste generation. Critics argue that emphasizing the Join Life collection allows Zara to divert attention from the substantial environmental harm caused by its primary operations, resulting in accusations of greenwashing (Singh, 2024). Other companies, such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, H&M, Shein, and many more, have also been accused of greenwashing.

Black Friday – from gratitude to mindless consumerism

Today marks Black Friday, the first Friday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. Traditionally signaling the start of holiday shopping, Black Friday has become the busiest shopping day of the year, spreading worldwide. Retailers promote sales with significant discounts, often opening early or even on Thanksgiving Day. Sales sometimes extend into Cyber Monday or last an entire Cyber Week (Albright, Mark).

Post-Thanksgiving shopping dates back to the late 19th century. Retailers noticed that the day after the holiday was a popular time to start holiday shopping, and sales increased during that period. By the early 20th century, department stores began to capitalize on this trend by advertising post-Thanksgiving sales.

The term Black Friday originally came from Philadelphia police officers in the 1950s. The officers named it after the heavy traffic and gridlock on the day after Thanksgiving. The city would be flooded with shoppers from the suburbs and tourists attending the annual Army-Navy football game on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This led to an increase in shoplifting and other crimes, and police had to work longer shifts to deal with the crowds.

Merchants did not like the negative connotation of the term for the day when they experienced their biggest boom of the year, so they appropriated it for themselves, explaining that in the accounting of trade, the period of loss was recorded in red ink and the period of gain in black. This was a fitting explanation because merchants entered the period of profit on Black Friday (Vaghasiya).

The downsides of Black Friday

1. Impulse buying

Discounts and low prices can lead to unnecessary purchases. Consumers might buy items they don’t need simply because they seem like good deals.

2. Buyer’s remorse

The pressure of making quick purchase decisions can result in regret after the excitement fades. Customers might regret their purchase, realizing they made a hasty choice.

3. Materialism and consumerism

The focus on material goods can overshadow the true spirit of the holiday season, which should emphasize gratitude and time with loved ones.

4. Compromising ethical values

During Black Friday, many large retailers are driven by profit above all else. In order to attract customers, they may resort to sourcing products from factories with poor working conditions or using unsustainable production practices. This can lead to ethical concerns being compromised. In addition, some retailers may significantly increase production to meet the high demand for Black Friday, potentially neglecting fair labor practices and safety standards to keep costs low (Chomsky, 2023).

How to combat greenwashing – eco-labels, evidence, local shopping, workshops, and more

Here are some tips to fight greenwashing and become a responsible consumer:

• Avoid vague claims without scientific backing (e.g., “natural,” “eco-friendly”).
• Look for certified eco-labels (e.g., EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, Blue Angel, etc.).
• Research brands and industries to make informed decisions.
• Focus on actions, not words—evaluate companies’ practices rather than their claims.
• Shop locally; a shorter supply chain reduces the risk of misrepresented ecological claims!
• Join Sunce members at the Swap Fair, where you can bring items and clothing that you no longer need, and in return take something else that you need. This reduces unnecessary consumerism and promotes sustainability by giving and acquiring second-hand items that are still usable, instead of throwing them away. Along with the fair, you can also join the ŠIZIKA workshop, where you will learn how to repair your clothes to extend their lifespan. Along with informative presentations, you will learn how to truly become environmentally responsible.
• Use apps like Vinted and Moje krpice where you can sell clothes and shoes that you no longer plan to wear but are still usable. This not only reduces the demand for new clothing production, but you can also earn some money on the side!

Final thoughts… ŠIZIKA’s fight against greenwashing

Sunce offers a sewing, patching and creative activities workshop called ŠIZIKA to those who are curious. You can forget about unnecessary spending money because ŠIZIKA brings a fresh perspective on clothing repair and encourages its participants to learn the basics of sewing, patching and creative techniques. This event emphasizes Sunce’s mission to encourage a sustainable lifestyle and provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of extending the life of goods. You will not have to worry about the ethics of large corporations from which you would potentially buy because you will learn to repair and refresh your clothes and breathe new life into them. In addition, the ŠIZIKA workshop held an educational presentation on the topic of greenwashing in fashion, which sought to raise awareness among participants about this major problem.

Forget about excessive consumerism and join us in our campaign to save the environment! Become Sunce’s member or volunteer at these or similar activities!

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• #greenwashing
• #Šizika