Is there anything you think consumers should
know, or look for in regards to the topic?
One of the quickest ways to look for
greenwashing is the word “wildcrafted.”
Real wildcrafting is when an herbalist goes
to a forest and harvests a small amount of a
plant for a remedy. Wildcrafting has to be done
very carefully to avoid wiping out native plant
populations.
But when you see the word “wildcrafted” on a
label, remember that it can take hundreds to
over a thousand pounds of plant material to
make a single pound of essential oil. If you really
wildcrafted that much, you would have destroyed
an entire plant population for many miles in every
direction.
Luckily, commercial wildcrafting for cosmetics
isn’t actually happening, but it does clue you in
that the company is greenwashing. The word
“wildcrafted” is typically used when a company
doesn’t have an organic certification for the
ingredient, but they want to make their ingredient
sound greener.
Another greenwashing trick is “Organic Aloe
Juice” as the first ingredient. This ingredient is
simply water with a trace amount of organic aloe
powder added to it. Companies do this because
the word “water” does not count toward the
percentage of organic material. A product that
claims to be “80% Organic” that lists “Organic
Aloe Juice” as the first ingredient may just be
80% water with a pinch of aloe powder thrown in.
What Else Can Consumers Do?
As you may have noticed, the world of
greenwashing is complicated from the top
down. Whether it’s the wealth of information a
consumer needs to ponder when wandering the
aisles of their preferred beauty story. Or the
company trying to create a product that is in line
with their beliefs but also financially feasible.
Or the Chemist working between the two—it’s
a tricky subject. While the best suggestion is to
learn about ingredients, that’s not always easy,
we suggest checking out these tips from the
Greenwashing Index.
THE AD MISLEADS WITH WORDS.
Do you believe the ad misleads the viewer/reader
about the company’s/product’s environmental
impact through the things it says? Does it seem
the words are trying to make you believe there is
a green practice when there isn’t? Focus on the
words only — what do you think the ad is saying?
THE AD MISLEADS WITH VISUALS AND/OR
GRAPHICS.
Do you think the advertiser has used green
or natural images in a way designed to make
you think the product/company is more
environmentally friendly than it really is?
THE AD MAKES A GREEN CLAIM THAT IS
VAGUE OR SEEMINGLY UNPROVABLE.
Does the ad claim environmental benefits without
sufficiently identifying for you what they are? Has
the advertiser provided a source for claims or for
more information? Are the claims related to the
company/product?
THE AD OVERSTATES OR EXAGGERATES
HOW GREEN THE PRODUCT/COMPANY/
SERVICE ACTUALLY IS.
Do you believe the advertiser is overstating how
green the product/company actually is? Are the
green claims made by the ad believable? Do you
think it’s possible for the product/company to do
the things depicted/stated?
THE AD LEAVES OUT OR MASKS IMPORTANT
INFORMATION, MAKING THE GREEN CLAIM
SOUND BETTER THAN IT IS.
Do you think the ad exists to divert attention
from something else the company does? Do you
believe the relevant collateral consequences of
the product/service are considered in the ad?
Does it seem to you that something is missing
from the ad?
THE AD MISLEADS WITH WORDS.
Do you believe the ad misleads the viewer/reader
about the company’s/product’s environmental
impact through the things it says? Does it seem
the words are trying to make you believe there is
a green practice when there isn’t? Focus on the
words only — what do you think the ad is saying?
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