From misleading product packaging and unsubstantiated claims, all the way through to telling downright fibs, businesses of all shapes and sizes are being called out for ‘Greenwashing’.
High profile lawsuits and some pretty embarrassing apologies hit the headlines every now and again, but just how big is the problem?
Oh it’s big. It’s very big.
A recent statement issued by a leading food manufacturer announced a proud ambition for their packaging to be ‘reusable or recyclable by 2025’. But what good is ambition without targets, achievable timelines or even a published plan?
Some of the largest businesses and organisations on the planet are deliberately deceiving consumers into believing that their products are environmentally sound, when the facts demonstrate the opposite to be true. A quick Google search for the word greenwashing returned more than 27,100,000 results in well under a second, so we haven’t got time to name names, but suffice it to say, there are a lot of dirty hands out there, and many of them belong to well-known brands.
Is there any good news?
Of course there is. For one thing, consumers are becoming way better informed, demanding to see actual evidence rather than marketing-speak. This more discerning customer base is driving businesses to clean up their act, especially as awareness grows about environmental issues.
But, and here is the really good news. We are seeing in our own business, a growing interest and understanding of the issues that we have been talking about since Green Team Interiors was formed, more than twenty-years ago.
When Ruth and Chris started the company in 2000 it was with a stated intent to make people’s working environments healthier and happier. We have been writing, talking, presenting and generally ‘banging on’ about the environment since day one of the business, and we love the fact that our customers are asking different questions.
Back in the early days we would hear ‘can you make reception look nicer?’ Or we need 4 metres of something green to hide the accounts department behind’!
These days we are being asked about Green Walls, living walls, displays that reduce noise, increase air quality or help with mental wellbeing issues.
We work with brilliant companies that demand high standards, and ask us to deliver on our promises and claims. The world of business is changing, and we are changing with it by doing exactly what we have always done.
