Greenwash: Beyond the False Claim

To put it simply, the consumer product industry struggles to effectively and clearly communicate information on its alternative product offerings and business sustainability actions.  With sustainability concepts and definitions still subject to interpretation, the same business sustainability eco actions claimed as ‘green’ are also subject to ‘greenwash’ commentary.  

Consumers are quickly realizing that greenwash is more than just making false claims about products.  The fact is that greenwash is far more prevalent than one would expect.  In a study by Terrachoice Environmental Marketing, Greenwashing Report 2009: The Seven Sins of Greenwashing, over 98% of the 2,219 products surveyed in North America committed at least one of the following actions:   •    False Labels – Some marketers are exploiting consumers’ demand for third-party certification by creating fake labels or false suggestions of third-party endorsement.  Example: ‘eco-safe’, ‘eco-secure’, and ‘eco-preferred’.   •    Hidden Trade-off – Suggesting a product is ‘green’ based on an unreasonably narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Example: Paper from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, including energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and water and air pollution, may be equally or more significant.   Click here to continue reading. 

Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".

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