What’s Green-Washing?

Investopedia describes Greenwashing as, “…the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound. Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly.”

3 ways to spot & avoid Greenwashing:

1. Company uses vague details or words that seem appealing. For example, words such as: natural or vegan. Often, vegan products that use vague details will use synthetic materials which, yes, are vegan, but overtime are horrible for the planet as most aren’t biodegradable or are made from oil. One example of natural ingredients often used is palm oil. The Palm Oil Paradox goes into details about the unethical practices of extraction of this oil along with the effect it has on our jungles. The Orangutan Conservancy found that in 2015, “over 90% of orangutan habitat has been destryoed in the last 20 years,” due to this industry.
2. Company has no certifications or gaps in the details. H&M and other fast fashion brands represent this concept perfectly. In 2012, H&M released their line of ‘Conscious’ clothes which is a collection that uses recycled and biodegradable fabrics. The only catch is, they are still using sweat-shop labour in order to produce these products. In a report by, Global Labour Justice, in 2018 explained, “In Cambodia, forced overtime is a characteristic management practice. All workers in H&M supplier factories interviewed by Central reported working in excess of 50 hours a week. Workers at Roo Hsing factory all reported working 60 hours per work on average,” along with, “These conditions have led to mass fainting episodes among Cambodian women garment workers resulting from over exertion exacerbated by inadequate nutrition. Such episodes of mass fainting have occurred in factories from which H&M supplies.” This is a gap in the details that make their claim of ‘Consciousness’ seem more than just a little off.
3. Company simply use the colour green for their product. The most famous version of this is BP’s infamous green logo; there is nothing green about carbon emissions from your car or the spillage in the Gulf of Mexico.

What is a B Corporation?

“Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.

Some of my favourite B Corps:

1. Gung-ho Pizza is at the top of my list as someone who has enjoyed their pizza many times before in Beijing. Though, it may be a little difficult for most to try a slice. If you are ever in Beijing, I highly recommend giving them a visit.
2. We Transfer which is an online software that allows you to quickly upload and share files.
3. Ben & Jerry’s has the best ice cream, both vegan and non-vegan, so of course they have to make the list.
4. Grove Collaborative which is an online monthly subscription box which is fully customisable by you.
5. Patagonia they make sick threads that last and are sustainable, what’s better than that?
6. Uncommon Goods is similar to Grove but is not a monthly subscriptions and has things from coffee tables to edible waffle cone shot glasses.
7. Bee’s Wrap is probably the most common Bee’s Wax Wrap and is based in Vermont!

Other sustainable brands:

1. Dirt Don’t Hurt is an activated charcoal skincare and oral care company based in San Diego, California.
2. Myro Deodorant is a refillable deodorant completely customisable to you.
3. Orgain is a vegan protein powder company that uses clean ingredients, though could use better packaging practices.

What to keep in mind moving forward

As a whole, it is best to keep to certified B corps along with doing key research. Researching where the company sources its products, where the source their labour or how they treat their labour staff, finding out what their natural, vegan, or Paraben free ingredients are, and even simply taking another look at their packaging are easy ways to tell if a company is truly sustainable or not. But, give yourself room to make mistakes. Greenwashing has been around since the beginning of capitalism as at its core, it is just another way to get people to buy their product. Sticking to more local brands will also help your journey a lot. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions, everything we ever need to know is now at our finger tips and if there is a hole in the details, more likely than not, you will find it filled with dirt.