Greenwashed or Sustainable?

Every company wants to be sustainable, so marketers go to great lengths to convince consumers that their products are green. This misleading advertising tactic is called "greenwashing." Unfortunately, greenwashing makes it challenging for consumers to tell which products are actually sustainable. In this post, I outline five questions you should ask yourself to determine if a product is greenwashed or sustainable!

Is the product necessary?

This first question is perhaps the most important: do you even need to buy the product? If you already have a product that fulfills the same or a similar role as a "sustainable" product, you don't need to waste your dollars. Even if your current product is plastic or was made in another country, buying unnecessary things is not sustainable, no matter how green the new products may be.

This means you can (and should) pass up things like bamboo utensils, recycled waterbottle sneakers, "biodegradable" combs and your 1000th reusable bag unless your current products genuinely need replacement. Rather than changing your consumption, reducing your consumption should be your priority for living a sustainable lifestyle.

Where is the product made?

If a company derives a supposedly sustainable product from your home country, then ships it half-way across the globe for processing and then ships it back to your home country for sales, that certainly isn't an efficient use of energy. To avoid buying jet-setting products, do your research before buying. Check the product label or the company's website to find out the product's true origins. Generally, the closer to your home a product was derived and manufactured, the more sustainable it is.

When considering where a product was made, you also have to consider the working conditions that resulted in the product. Products that are very inexpensive and made outside your home country usually rely on cheap labor in potentially dangerous factories. If you don't want your products to contribute to unfair wages and human rights violations, then stick with products made by close-to-home manufacturers that you've researched and trust. If a company doesn't provide any information about where their product is made, you're better off looking for a different product.

Which materials are in the product?

Perhaps the most common sustainable marketing technique is claiming that a product's materials are green. To determine if a material is sustainable, first look for third-party sustainability certifications. For example, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) evaluates wood and paper products' sustainability, while OEKO-TEX evaluates textiles' toxicity. These are just two of many sustainable material certifications. If you see a third-party label on a product, look it up to check if it is legit.

If a product doesn't have a third-party certification, it is more likely to be greenwashed. However, all hope is not lost. Research where the company derived its materials and how processed those materials are. If you find that a product's materials are locally produced and minimally processed, it might be sustainable despite the lack of third-party certification. On the other hand, if the materials are imported from half-way around the world and heavily processed before the product is made (or if you find zero specific information about the material), you'll want to steer clear.

When and how will you get rid of the product?

If a new "sustainable" product will last less than five years before you send it to a landfill, is it really sustainable at all? (Hint: the answer is no.) When evaluating how sustainable a product is, you have to consider it's entire lifespan — from its creation, through its use, and to its next life. If you envision the product being useful for generations to come (like a sturdy wooden table or a cast iron pan), then it's likely sustainable. If the product will break or lose relevance after a few years, it's more likely to be greenwashed.

However, not all products are meant to last forever. If the product is necessary and will be heavily used (like sneakers or carpeting), then how you will dispose of it is as important as, if not more important than, when. In these cases, check to see if the company has a buy-back or product recycling program. If the company does not have a responsible disposal plan for its “sustainable” products, the products are likely greenwashed. Truly sustainable products will either last for generations or be easily and conveniently recycled, repurposed or reused.

Does the company have other sustainability initiatives?

If a company releases a new "sustainable" product, but they have never mentioned sustainability before, stay silent on major social issues or are linked to heavily polluting companies, they are likely greenwashing.

To find out if a company is committed to sustainability, check if they have third-party sustainability certifications (like B Corp, Energy Star, WaterSense or Cradle to Cradle), search their website for sustainability philosophies, or research their owners and investors. You could also read their social media posts or email them asking about their sustainability efforts.

If you find that they ignore social movements, are linked to bad environmental actors or have no other environmentally sustainable activity, they are likely an unsustainable company. Skip that product!