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Greenwashing Not Always a Fair Charge

"Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service."

Greenwashing

So says Underwriters Laboratories (UL), acquirer of TerraChoice, which published the report, The Seven Sins of Greenwashing. With more than a decade having passed since its coinage, greenwashing has a history of application, relevant to packaging suppliers and packaging users.

In theory, allegations of greenwashing protect the consumer. It’s tempting, therefore, to assume that the allegations have validity. Choosing the path of least resistance, the trade press, industry conferences, and trade-associations have (mostly) focused on educating companies on how to avoid greenwashing.

The aforementioned definition, by its use of the term misleading, implies intent on the part of the alleged greenwasher. Even allowing for the possibility that a given claim can be misleading, there’s a distinction between misinformation and disinformation: the former is committed without intent; the latter is committed with intent. To ignore the distinction makes educating companies on how to avoid greenwashing an easy task: simply instruct them to be honest and to not intentionally mislead.

Only it’s not that easy and simple. That’s because the vast majority of companies operate cognizant of the constraints imposed by consumer acceptance, competitors’ responses, and agency regulations. Granted, there’s the constant “pushing the envelope” that seeks a competitive advantage; nonetheless, no straight-thinking company does so at the sacrifice of its reputation and long-term viability.

Condemning a claim like greenwashing involves not only a definition but also how the definition is applied. An allegation should have elements that, if met, justify the allegation. Those elements should be specific and not applied indiscriminately; otherwise, every company can be said to be a greenwasher, rendering moot discussions about how to avoid the practice.

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