I’m sure you’ve walked the cleaning aisles of big box stores and seen words like sustainable, green, or eco-friendly on various packaging. Maybe you’ve even purchased these items with the thought you’re doing better for your family. That was me - buying brands like Seventh Generation and thinking I was making a better, cleaner choice. Although what I was purchasing was greenwashing.
And then I learned about greenwashing and it made me so mad! Of course, you don’t want to believe these large companies are lying…how could that be legal? Greenwashing is essentially the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice. Using serene, nature scenes and images on packaging accompanied by words like certified, environmentally friendly or sustainable, is a prime example of how companies are essentially tricking consumers into thinking they are making a better choice.
I read recently that the term has actually been around for a long time, when an environmentalist was visiting a hotel in Fiji and noticed the hotel asked guests to reuse towels for the planet’s sake. This request would ultimately save the hotel money, all while they were conveniently in the middle of an expansion. The two just didn’t line up. Things have definitely taken a turn for the worse.
So, what are we supposed to do? We do the best we can. Do your research, check ingredients and tell others about what you’ve learned!
We can promise you that our ingredient list will always be 100% truthful and we will always be transparent.
