When I took marketing in college my intro class had a lot of gems like โ€œred and yellow are colors well-suited to fast-food restaurantsโ€, and probably some other useful stuff I definitely didnโ€™t commit to memory. It was an introduction class after all. We gotta give the marketers of today some credit because theyโ€™ve upped the game! Theyโ€™re spinning consumer interests and values into label claims and taglines that we canโ€™t help but fall for over and over again. You may have heard of the term greenwashing as youโ€™re searching for certain products, and it can be confusing to find which companies are walking the walk, and which ones are just talking the talk.

Top view vertical photo of glass bottles with natural cosmetics jar with cream and vase with eucalyptus on white marble background

Greenwashing is a little lamb on a green pasture with the words โ€œnaturalโ€ and โ€œplant-basedโ€ taking up prime real estate on the front of baby bath soap. Words, images, and even earthy colors that help us believe that a certain product is โ€œearth-friendlyโ€ or โ€œgreenโ€, lead us to purchase that product thinking that they are planet-focused and have ingredients that are safe and maybe even โ€œgood for youโ€. Products will use words like โ€œhealingโ€ or โ€œsoothingโ€ and mention a natural ingredient like aloe vera.

Unfortunately, currently in the US, label claims donโ€™t necessarily have to be backed up. โ€œMade with xyz ingredientโ€ CAN be true, and when you turn the product around to check the full ingredient list, turns out there is that helpful ingredient in there, but thereโ€™s also a bunch of junk. Organic labeling does have standards that are regulated, but otherwise, the buzzwords like natural, sustainable, and eco-friendly donโ€™t have a standard definition by the industry and the FDA doesnโ€™t regulate the use of them on products. Brands know that consumer values are changing and in an effort to align with how the customer views themselves, theyโ€™re painting the picture we want to see in their packaging and language.

Imagine a new parent holding a baby in the โ€œnaturalโ€ baby section at the store. They look at the options for lotion, baby wipes, baby shampoo and see lots of soft greens with all of these words speaking to them from each new set they see. This one is hypoallergenic! That one is biodegradable! This other one is โ€œmade with organic ingredientsโ€ (70% organic ingredients). Without a deep understanding of the scientific names for ingredients on the back of the bottles, how do they make a decision between the many options they see? The same way so many of us do when weโ€™re choosing everything from a new book to a new toothbrush. The box, the label, the colors, the words we like, make us feel like this product is for me. Companies making these types of products understand that about their consumers. Weโ€™re too busy to flip over the package, and even if we do, if weโ€™re wowed enough by the โ€œrecyclableโ€ โ€œnon-toxicโ€ words on the front, and the calming colors, the long ingredients list might be a casualty of our human quick decision making and get a skim at best.

At this point, you might be thinking, this is tricky! I donโ€™t like being tricked! Me either. Buying a product with โ€œrecyclableโ€ on the label, only to find out, the material actually isnโ€™t widely recycled and not accepted where you live is disappointing and frankly makes me a little mad. If itโ€™s truly not able to be recycled, then it goes to the landfill, which is the opposite of that eco-friendly label you were reading in that natural baby aisle. You might also ask, WHY are companies doing this then? Leading us to believe that a product is โ€œall-naturalโ€ when itโ€™s really comprised of many synthetic ingredients along with the natural, and that itโ€™s โ€œenvironmentally-friendlyโ€ when really the packaging is made from virgin plastic and not recyclable where you live?

Double answer here is that 1) they know that consumers want more โ€œsafeโ€ โ€œcleanโ€ โ€œeco-friendlyโ€ (though we donโ€™t have a consensus on what any of those words mean) products and 2) profit. Right now with little to no regulation over the terms used and the ingredients inside the product and packaging, brands can sell based on what they think we want to see.

How to Spot Greenwashing

Letโ€™s talk about how to spot greenwashing in the wild. There are many certifications you can easily check for that will tell you if this company is making claims, or having them verified by a third party.

  • B Corporation – This little B mark on the label means this company is doing good for people and planet and is evaluated on a rigorous scale annually to check on progress! This gets a pretty heavy weight for me when Iโ€™m shopping.
  • FSC certified – products come from responsibly managed forests
  • Leaping Bunny – absolutely no testing on animals anywhere in the supply line
  • USDA Organic – has to be 100% organic ingredients(has the seal), โ€œorganicโ€ is 95% organic, and โ€œmade with organic ingredientsโ€ is 70% organic. Neither of the last two are allowed to have the USDA organic seal.
  • Climate Neutral Certified – these companies spend a fraction of their revenues to eliminate and/or offset carbon emissions. They have their actual output published as well as plans to improve their overall environmental impact.
  • Home compostable – This one is big because there are to-go containers labeled with โ€œcompostableโ€ and when you look closely, it says โ€œin a commercial composting facilityโ€. My city doesnโ€™t have one of those, does yours? If not, this container is still landfill-bound since itโ€™s probably made with bioplastics that arenโ€™t recyclable.
  • Recycle info – Glass, aluminum, and paper are widely accepted at recycling centers. Types of plastic arenโ€™t always accepted everywhere. The most accepted numbers are #1 and #2, so check your local facility if you see #5,6,7 on the bottom!

Itโ€™s a jungle out there yโ€™all! Hereโ€™s what you can do next time youโ€™re shopping! Look for the above certifications. Google the company and go to the FAQ page. If theyโ€™re really planting trees, have a giveback program to womenโ€™s education in another country, test their ingredients for safety, and have a green factory with plans to reduce carbon output, they will be dang proud of it and have the pictures and literature to back it up. If itโ€™s not there, itโ€™s not happening.

What to do if a brand you like doesnโ€™t match up to your standards? Tell them. Seriously. We have more power as consumers than we think. Want your favorite dish soap company to disclose their fragrance? TELL THEM. Want that same company to integrate post-consumer recycled plastic? Go to the comment box on their site and let them know! Of course, we can move our purchasing power to another brand that is doing the things we align with, BUT/AND we can also ask more of the companies weโ€™ve bought from. If my favorite chocolate brand doesnโ€™t know their customers WANT home compostable packaging on their products, how can they make the move to that change? We know better, now letโ€™s demand better from the big brands weโ€™re bringing into our home.

Just for You

Sustainability Articles

Want to broaden your knowledge on sustainability?



About the Author

Brandi Schilhab


More Like This

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

5 Comments

    1. We are so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing with us. -Team F&F