What Is Greenwashing and Green Marketing? A Brief Guide

greenwashing green marketing guide

Did you know that over 81% of shoppers are craving more green and sustainable products? Green marketing has never been more important for buyers in our modern-day market. More customers are seeking ways to save our planet.

Whether that is by buying green or sustainable options or living a zero-waste life, the facts show that buyers want more ethical goods and services to pick from. But, how do we connect these buyers to the products and services they’re looking for?

Green marketing is the answer! We’re here to give you a brief beginner’s guide into the world of green marketing and greenwashing. Read on to discover what these terms mean for shoppers!

What Is Green Marketing?

Green marketing is when a company markets eco-conscious products and services. The best way to identify green marketing is by looking at a company’s advertising. Most marketing strategies will include:

  • Pictures promoting products as “green”
  • Sustainable products or packaging
  • Eco-marketing keywords like recycling, sustainable, all-natural

Yet sometimes, these companies are not always as sustainable as they claim to be. That leads us into our next term: greenwashing.

What Is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is when a company advertises itself to be “green,” but this may not always be the case. In fact, this could occur in a direct or roundabout way. A company may have “green” products but cause a great amount of pollution in its factory.

Waste products from factory production can also be a cause of environmental pollutants. For example, companies may claim to have green fashion. Yet, after fact-finding, you uncover that the factory dumps chemicals in a water supply.

The key to remember is that greenwashing is deflecting customers from the ugly truth. It is when companies aim to conceal the harm they are causing the environment. 

You might be wondering: what is an example of greenwashing products?

We’re glad you asked!

greenwashing green marketing guide

Greenwashing Example Products

Ready for a shock? You might not expect these names to have greenwashing products, but they do! 

A greenwashing example is the Keurig coffee pods.

These pods are more difficult to recycle than ads led customers to believe. This led to a lawsuit costing the company $3 million. They also had to remove their “recyclable” coffee pods advertisement.

You might be thinking: wow, a lawsuit! That’s right, there can be legal risks for companies that greenwash their customers.

What Can You Do to Help?

Research companies’ green marketing for facts and choose to live a zero-waste lifestyle! At EarthfullyLiving, we strive for zero-waste and ethical beauty and fashion. We know that it can seem daunting to make a simple lifestyle change, let alone a big one.

That is why we are here to help and support you along the journey. Even if you are not able to buy “green” products, we can help you take baby steps in the right direction. Check out our blog on how to make your clothes last forever.

Don’t stop there! Explore our site as we offer all-you-need-to-know guides on living this compassionate lifestyle.

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