Greenwashing. It’s a term you may have never heard before. Or, if you have, it may sound like something pretty innocuous; maybe a way for people to clean their cars in a more environmentally friendly way. Unfortunately, greenwashing refers to something far more devious and problematic. 

In the simplest of terms, greenwashing is when a corporation or group uses PR to take the steps that make it seem like they are environmentally responsible, but don’t take the additional steps to actually be responsible. 

This can manifest in multiple ways, but some of the most common examples are when companies will say their product is “sustainable” or “all-natural.” It sounds great, but what does it actually mean? After all, crude oil is all-natural, but no one wants it poured onto their front lawn. 

Another common greenwashing ploy is to claim that a decision made by a company to help the environment in fact helps their bottom line. One of the more obvious moves recently was by Apple, who in 2020 claimed that removing the charger from the iPhone box was meant to reduce landfill waste. What that really meant was one less thing Apple had to manufacture and give away for free.  

There are also the issues of conferences, awards shows and other events that feature a lot of celebrities and rich people talking about how they’re helping save the environment… even though many of them flew there on private jets. 

Unfortunately, these types of greenwashing ploys have been shown to work. Some research that has looked at greenwashing and customer perception show that most people tend to take these PR moves at face value, and a well-messaged campaign or seasoned public relations firm can make a few cosmetic changes to hide some pretty ugly business practices. 

PR can be powerfully persuasive, but in the wrong hands it can be used in very unethical ways. Some companies may very well be trying to make the world a better place, with examples such as Dayrize, Ahimsa and the Classic T-Shirt Company.  But it’s even better if consumers make sure that this is what’s happening.

Want to see the kind of work MGP does for its sustainability clients? Get in touch at hello@wearemgp.com.

Greenwashing. It’s a term you may have never heard before. Or, if you have, it may sound like something pretty innocuous; maybe a way for people to clean their cars in a more environmentally friendly way. Unfortunately, greenwashing refers to something far more devious and problematic. 

In the simplest of terms, greenwashing is when a corporation or group uses PR to take the steps that make it seem like they are environmentally responsible, but don’t take the additional steps to actually be responsible. 

This can manifest in multiple ways, but some of the most common examples are when companies will say their product is “sustainable” or “all-natural.” It sounds great, but what does it actually mean? After all, crude oil is all-natural, but no one wants it poured onto their front lawn. 

Another common greenwashing ploy is to claim that a decision made by a company to help the environment in fact helps their bottom line. One of the more obvious moves recently was by Apple, who in 2020 claimed that removing the charger from the iPhone box was meant to reduce landfill waste. What that really meant was one less thing Apple had to manufacture and give away for free.  

There are also the issues of conferences, awards shows and other events that feature a lot of celebrities and rich people talking about how they’re helping save the environment… even though many of them flew there on private jets. 

Unfortunately, these types of greenwashing ploys have been shown to work. Some research that has looked at greenwashing and customer perception show that most people tend to take these PR moves at face value, and a well-messaged campaign or seasoned public relations firm can make a few cosmetic changes to hide some pretty ugly business practices. 

PR can be powerfully persuasive, but in the wrong hands it can be used in very unethical ways. Some companies may very well be trying to make the world a better place, with examples such as Dayrize, Ahimsa and the Classic T-Shirt Company.  But it’s even better if consumers make sure that this is what’s happening.

Want to see the kind of work MGP does for its sustainability clients? Get in touch at hello@wearemgp.com.