Greenwashing has become a growing concern as companies seek to align with the rising consumer demand for sustainability. The term refers to the practice of presenting a company as more environmentally friendly than it truly is. By using misleading advertising or hiding the true extent of their environmental impact, companies often distract from the harm caused by their business practices.
Here are six distinct types of greenwashing that you should be aware of, based on the image provided.
- 1 1. Greenlighting: Distracting from Harm
- 2 2. Greenhushing: Silence to Avoid Scrutiny
- 3 3. Greenrinsing: Constantly Changing Targets
- 4 4. Greenshifting: Blaming the Consumer
- 5 5. Greencrowding: Hiding in Group Efforts
- 6 6. Greenlabelling: False Sustainability Claims
- 7 Staying Vigilant Against Greenwashing
1. Greenlighting: Distracting from Harm
Greenlighting involves companies highlighting small, often insignificant environmental efforts to draw attention away from their more damaging activities. For example, a company may promote a recyclable product line while continuing to engage in destructive environmental practices in other areas of its business. This selective showcasing of minor sustainable efforts creates a misleading narrative that the company is committed to environmental responsibility, while the broader context of its operations remains harmful.
Example: A fast fashion company might market a small, eco-friendly clothing line but ignore the vast environmental damage caused by its other mass-produced items, such as excessive water usage and toxic dye waste.
2. Greenhushing: Silence to Avoid Scrutiny
Some companies opt for greenhushing, deliberately underreporting or concealing their sustainability practices to avoid external scrutiny or backlash. This tactic can be used when companies fear that publicizing their environmental actions may either backfire or reveal that their efforts are insufficient. By staying silent, they avoid having to meet the high expectations that consumers and activists often place on companies with environmental claims.
Example: A tech company might reduce energy consumption in its data centers but choose not to report these improvements, fearing it will invite questions about other unsustainable practices in the supply chain.
3. Greenrinsing: Constantly Changing Targets
Greenrinsing refers to the practice of regularly altering or resetting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals to evade accountability. Companies use this tactic to appear as though they are working towards sustainability without actually achieving their targets. By constantly moving the goalposts, they can deflect criticism, as their efforts are always framed as a work in progress.
Example: A multinational corporation sets ambitious net-zero carbon emission goals but, when faced with difficulties, quietly revises those targets to a later date, never achieving the promised reductions.
4. Greenshifting: Blaming the Consumer
Rather than taking responsibility for their environmental impact, some companies engage in greenshifting, shifting the blame onto consumers. They encourage consumers to reduce their carbon footprint or make greener choices, rather than addressing their own corporate practices that are causing significant environmental harm. This places the burden on the consumer while the company avoids taking meaningful action.
Example: A plastic bottle manufacturer might run a campaign encouraging customers to recycle, even though their packaging is still made from non-recyclable materials, avoiding responsibility for contributing to plastic pollution.
5. Greencrowding: Hiding in Group Efforts
Greencrowding involves companies aligning themselves with group-wide or industry-wide sustainability initiatives to mask their poor environmental practices. By participating in collective efforts, they avoid being individually accountable for the negative environmental impacts of their business operations. This approach dilutes responsibility, making it harder to track any individual company’s actions.
Example: A company might join a global sustainability alliance but avoid making internal changes, relying on the group’s collective efforts to obscure its lack of concrete action.
6. Greenlabelling: False Sustainability Claims
One of the most egregious forms of greenwashing is greenlabelling, which involves using misleading or outright false environmental labels to give the appearance of sustainability. This can include the use of vague or unregulated terms such as “natural”, “eco-friendly”, or “green” on products without any evidence to back up the claim. Greenlabelling preys on consumer trust, manipulating people into believing they are making environmentally conscious choices.
Example: A beauty product might carry a “100% natural” label, while its ingredients are derived from harmful chemicals or unsustainable sources.
Staying Vigilant Against Greenwashing
Greenwashing erodes trust and makes it difficult for consumers to distinguish between genuinely sustainable businesses and those merely posturing. These six types of greenwashing tactics reveal the various ways companies can mislead the public and deflect accountability. To avoid falling into the greenwashing trap, consumers must critically examine companies’ sustainability claims and look for transparency in how businesses operate. Companies that are truly committed to sustainability will offer more than just marketing buzzwords—they will provide evidence of measurable, long-term environmental impact.