How to avoid greenwashing as a sustainability-aware business
There’s no hiding from it; sustainability has become a core value for lots of businesses and customers in recent years. The climate crisis is a very real issue, and businesses are increasingly taking on initiatives to show that they are environmentally aware. At the same time as companies are shifting towards more eco-friendly policies, greenwashing has also been on the rise.
This is when businesses make misleading claims in a bid to appear eco-friendly. While they may want to appeal to eco-conscious customers and improve their brand image, this actually has the opposite effect, leading to lost trust and credibility, which can cause customers to turn to competitors.
Of course, no self-respecting business owner wants that, so here’s everything your sustainability-aware business needs to know about avoiding greenwashing and how to effectively communicate eco-friendly initiatives honestly.
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is when a company makes false or misleading claims that it is having a positive impact on the environment. This could be through its initiatives, services, or products. These claims can make a business appear more environmentally friendly than it actually is, which can be damaging. As consumers are more and more sustainability-minded, greenwashing can be perceived as being dishonest to appeal to customers and make money.
Types of greenwashing
There are lots of different ways that a company can carry out greenwashing, including:
- Making vague claims.
- Making exaggerated claims.
- Using misleading images.
- Using eco-friendly terms without the statistics to back them up.
- Carefully selecting information and data to purposely portray a more eco-friendly picture.
Why is greenwashing dangerous for business?
While exaggerating a business’ sustainability initiatives might not seem like a big deal, especially if it results in increased sales, it can actually be incredibly harmful and cause long-term damage that’s difficult to recover from.
Below are some of the ways that greenwashing can be damaging for a business.
1. Lost Trust
Customers are well-informed about environmental initiatives. If your business makes false or exaggerated claims, it is likely to be found out. When this happens, any trust or relationship you have built up with your customers will be lost. This will cause them to turn away from your business in favour of your competitors. Once this happens, it can be difficult to win customers back.
2. Damage to Reputation
Reputations are built up over many years, and they take just seconds to destroy. At a time when social media and cancel culture are so prominent, it doesn’t take long for a reputation to be completely destroyed if a business is found guilty of greenwashing with just a few social media posts that gather momentum.
3. Lower Staff Morale
If your business views being eco-friendly as just another marketing tactic, then it’s likely that staff morale will quickly drop, which is bad for business. People care about the environment, so you need to show everyone, your staff and your customers, that you are serious about it.
How your business can avoid greenwashing
Now that you know how damaging greenwashing can be for businesses, it’s essential to learn how to avoid it. Here are some steps to follow.
Be Specific About Claims
Don’t use vague language unless you have the data to back it up. Saying that something is ‘green,’ ‘sustainable,’ or ‘eco-friendly’ without the facts to prove it is a disaster waiting to happen. As an example, if you are selling a product that is made from recycled materials, you need to state what percentage of the materials are recycled, whether it’s 20%, 50%, or 100%. Doing this means that you aren’t misleading anyone and leaves it up to consumers to make their own informed decisions.
Be Transparent With Data
In a similar vein, if you are making claims that your business is reducing its carbon footprint, water usage, or increasing the amount it recycles, you need to back that up with real data. Your sustainability reports need to show clear measurements and how they compare to your long-term goals. Even if you are not where you want to be, being honest about this shows that you are taking eco initiatives seriously and that you are accountable for your actions.
Use A Specialist PR Company To Help With Communications
Working with a specialist sustainability PR company can help your marketing team communicate your sustainability messages in the right way. If you already have solid environmental processes in place, you want to ensure that when you tell people about them, you do so clearly and effectively.
A specialist PR company can help you with this, as they are experts in this kind of messaging and understand what consumers and industries expect, which can help you grow your brand image. This way, you’ll also avoid making misleading claims that damage your reputation.
Make Sure Your Actions Match Your Intentions
It’s all very well setting out your green intentions, but without action to achieve them, it’s pointless. Sustainability should be a part of your business strategy and something that you consider in every aspect of running your business. Without this, it’s just an empty promise.
Review Your Sustainability Claims
You can’t afford to take your eye off the ball when it comes to sustainability claims in business. Regularly review the language used on your website, in product descriptions, and on packaging to ensure that it is accurate and not misleading.
Get Certifications Where Relevant
There are certifications that can back up your environmental credentials. For example, Fairtrade certificates and the Forest Stewardship Council. These are only awarded to businesses and products after thorough evaluation and can help prove that you are serious about environmental and sustainable causes.
Avoid falling foul of greenwashing
Consumers are increasingly interested in making sustainable choices in all areas of their lives. This extends to ensuring that they are purchasing from businesses that take sustainability efforts seriously. Greenwashing can be seen as a marketing ploy to get customers on board without the evidence to back up claims of being eco-friendly. If found out, this can destroy a company’s reputation. However, with the steps outlined above, your business can avoid falling foul of greenwashing and protect its reputation.
