A colleague that I appreciate a lot comments that greenwashing has been the biggest ‘concern’ for environment of some big companies because it is easier to say that you do than to do as nobody can check.
I must recognize that I heard this idea many times, but I also saw many cases when companies were accused of greenwashing because companies hope consumers won’t take notice of dodgy green commitments. Few examples are mentioned below:
- Coca-Cola was marketed as sustainable, but in its brand audit report released in 2022, Break Free From Plastic identified Coca-Cola as the world’s leading plastic polluter for the fifth consecutive year.
- H&M was criticized by the Norwegian Customer Authority for false advertising for its new “environmentally friendly” Conscious Collection launched in 2012. The Authority said “the information regarding sustainability was not sufficient, especially given that the Conscious Collection is advertised as a collection with environmental benefits.”
- IKEA: In 2021 the NGO Earthsight published a report that proved that the main partner used by IKEA for wood approval and certification, the Forest Stewardship Council, is actually guilty of greenwashing.
- Kaufland Romania pretended in 2023 to be the first company certificated ‘zero waste’. The marketing campaign was very criticized, and the company recognized that the company is not zero waste on all business lines.
- McDonald’s: In 2019, the fast-food chain started an initiative to reduce the usage of single-use plastics in its restaurants; however, the company’s new paper straws, which have replaced the previous plastic ones, are still not recyclable
- Nespresso: The company reassured the public that its single-use coffee pods are ecologically friendly and made exclusively of recyclable materials. In reality, some specialized machineries are needed in order to properly process the pods and traditional recycling plants don’t have access to.
- Ryanair was sanctioned by the authority for consumer protection for greenwashing in 2023.
- Starbucks: In 2018 the company eliminated all straws in general. However, it was quickly found that the new lid contained more plastic than the previous straw-lid combination.
- Volkswagen: In 2015, Volkswagen was found to have cheated emission tests by making its diesel cars appear far less polluting than they are. The scandal started a massive investigation and in April 2017, a US federal judge ordered Volkswagen to pay a $2.8 billion criminal fine.
- Walmart has been asked to pay $3m in civil penalties for misleading consumers on its use of bamboo and rayon. Converting bamboo to rayon requires the use of toxic chemicals and results in hazardous pollutants.
Is it expensive to be involved in greenwashing? What costs do you need to support to clean the mess of ‘greenwashing’? Let’s see below the list of costs for a transparent reporting on business sustainability, and the list of costs for repairing the effects of the greenwashing.
My grandmother used to tell me that I don’t need to take a pill for headache if I have no headache. So, why to pretend that the company is green when it is not?
What are the benefits? Is it worth the total cost?