Greenwashing

Deceptive eco-advertising and its prevalence in the home appliance

industry.

What s Greenwashing?

• Deceptive or misleading advertising• Designed to make products appear

more Eco-Friendly

The History of Greenwashing

• The term first appeared in the 1970’s• Coined by Jay Westerfield• Combination of “green” and “whitewash”• Began in response to the 1960’s

environmental movement

Greenpeace’s Greenwash Criteria

• Dirty Business• Ad Bluster• Political Spin• It’s the Law, Stupid!

The Seven Sins of Greenwashing

• Sin of the Hidden Trade-off• Sin of No Proof• Sin of Vagueness• Sin of Worshipping False Labels• Sin of Irrelevance• Sin of The Lesser of Two Evils• Sin of Fibbing

Sin of The Hidden Trade-Off• Claiming that a product

is “green” based on a narrow set of attributes, while ignoring others.

• Example: O.B. Claims their tampons will save one pound of waste per woman, but do not factor in the chemicals used to manufacture them.

Sin of No Proof

• A claim about a product that can’t be supported by evidence

• Example: Diapers claiming to contain a certain % of recycled materials.

Sin of Vagueness

• A claim that is too broad or not legally defined

• Example: “All-Natural” products

Sin of Worshipping False Labels

• Companies that create fake 3rd-Part endorsements

• Example: Magazines paid to evaluate products

Sin of Irrelevance

• A claim that may be truthful but is unhelpful

• Example: “CFC-Free”

Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils

• A product that is only green in comparison to other products in the category

• Example: Organic Cigarettes

Sin of Fibbing

• Outright lies• Example:

Companies falsely claiming to be energy-star certified

Genuine Green Labels

Home Appliances

• Refrigerators, Washers, Toaster, Air Conditioners.....

• We all have them• Hard/Impossible to

Realize Greenwashing

Example 1: Samsung

• Read everything carefully• Don't believe everything you read or see• Symbols don't always mean something• Every Award is different

Example 2: LG

• Research• Compare Multiple Tests• Don't believe what they say• Look into the history of the company,

were they caught before?

Example 3: GE

• Promises are promises, nothing more• Money means nothing, I can markup

anything• Companies don't need to give you the

whole story. They can leave parts out that make huge differences.

Lowe’s-- Improving Homes?

• Selling Greenwashed products is only fueling the Greenwashing epidemic

• Needs to Re-think Objectives

Honest AND Eco-Friendly

• Adopt policy of honesty• Share information on true green

appliances and their companies• Focus advertising on just those

products

Benefits

• Reassure customers

• Improve sales

• Better the image of the company for the future