Greenwashing Got Your Goat? Give Underhanded Corporations The Public Baaaaaahhh!!

The simple act of “washing” is a good thing. No one wants a bunch of goobery-grodyness marring the intrinsic beauty of their doofy-looking pom-pom poodles, their prized collection of wildly overpriced souvenir spoons from U.S. tourist traps or their vintage “Milli Vanilli Presents…United We Stand, Divided We Bawl” concert tour t-shirt. Add a “white” in front of the word “washing” and it’s still a-okay as long as we’re referencing the opaque milk-lime-cement-based liquid used to freshen up the appearance of bricks, fencing, furniture and paneling. Nothing bad about that. Things get sticky, though, when whitewashing is employed to cover up a misdeed or flat out lie. George Bush’s legacy as an environmental champion comes to mind. Hmmmpppffhh.

It makes sense that in the spirit of whitewashing’s not-so-sparkley alter ego, a relatively new sister-term has become firmly entrenched in our lexicon. Yes, you’ve heard it…you’ve probably even used it on more than a few occasions. When companies claim that their services and products are squeaky-green or that they embrace high eco-standards despite evidence to the contrary, they are engaging in greenwashing. Essentially, they employ strategic wordsmiths (also known as a shrewd marketing team) to shed the greenest light on their not-so-green business practices.  So, now the U.S. Postal service is green because you can purchase stamps online (um…okayyyy), and your dentist is green because they only give out one free plastic Oral-B toothbrush each year to clients instead of the normal two. Right-e-o...you get the picture.

Consumers generally pay top dollar for green-themed products with the presumption that the extra funds offset higher production costs associated with greater environmentally responsible standards. It’s understandable that people want to channel their purchasing power toward goods and services that will benefit the planet, however, all too often, companies twist the facts in order to pull the moss over our eyes and benefit from the windfall of ka-ching. Now, those of us who want to take the greenest road possible and support truly ethical and legitimately eco-responsible companies can consult the Greenwashing Index. Once you log on, you can submit your own corporate greenwashing examples and/or view and comment on other users’ examples.  At the very least, it allows all of us to become more empowered…to make far more informed choices…to become more savvy consumers…and to shine the spotlight on organizations that don’t deserve our support or hard-earned dollars.  Viva Mother Nature, down with the greedy corporate snot monsters!