Jump to content

Greenwashing: Difference between revisions

From Consumer Rights Wiki
← Older editNewer edit →
VisualWikitext
NDN (talk | contribs)
confirmed
78 edits
continuing edit, unknown why system detects swearing in second bullet point
Sojourna (talk | contribs)
Autoconfirmed users, confirmed
147 edits
m clean-up
Line 1: Line 1:
{{StubNotice}}
{{StubNotice}}


[[wikipedia:Greenwashing|Greenwashing]] is a form of advertising or marketing that deceptively uses social and environmental PR in order to persuade the public that a company's products, goals, or policies are environmentally friendly. Companies that intentionally adopt greenwashing strategies often do so to distance themselves from their environmental lapses or those of their suppliers. While the term itself was coined in a 1986 essay about the hotel industry's "save the towel" movement,<ref>[https://www.aol.com/2011/02/12/the-history-of-greenwashing-how-dirty-towels-impacted-the-green/?guccounter=2 A History of Greenwashing: How Dirty Towels Impacted the Green Movement] - AOL</ref> the practice has been traced back to the 1950's with the "keep America beautiful" campaign which puts the burden of reducing and recycling litter on the consumer and shifts the focus away from corporate responsibility.<ref name=":0">[https://www.herinst.org/BusinessManagedDemocracy/environment/fronts/KAB.html Front Groups - Keep America Beautiful] - Business-Managed Environment </ref>
'''{{Wplink|Greenwashing}}''' is a form of advertising or marketing that deceptively uses social and environmental public relations (PR) in order to persuade the public that a company's products, goals, or policies are environmentally-friendly. Companies that intentionally adopt greenwashing strategies often do so to distance themselves from their environmental lapses or those of their suppliers. While the term itself was coined in a 1986 essay about the hotel industry's "save the towel" movement,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jim |last=Motavalli |title=A History of Greenwashing: How Dirty Towels Impacted the Green Movement |url=https://www.aol.com/2011-02-12-the-history-of-greenwashing-how-dirty-towels-impacted-the-green.html |website=AOL |date=12 Feb 2011 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822081337/https://www.aol.com/2011-02-12-the-history-of-greenwashing-how-dirty-towels-impacted-the-green.html |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref> the practice has been traced back to the 1950s with the "keep America beautiful" campaign that places the burden of reducing and recycling litter onto the consumer and shifts the focus away from corporate responsibility.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Business-Managed Environment — Front Groups — Keep America Beautiful |url=https://www.herinst.org/BusinessManagedDemocracy/environment/fronts/KAB.html |website=herinst.org |date=2009 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225224843/https://www.herinst.org/BusinessManagedDemocracy/environment/fronts/KAB.html |archive-date=25 Feb 2012}}</ref><blockquote>“Their glitzy advertisements can no longer conceal their climate criminal behaviour – polluting the planet, raking in record profits, and sanitising their own image to continue the climate-wrecking cycle.” — former Green Party MP Caroline Lucas<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>
 
<blockquote>“Their glitzy advertisements can no longer conceal their climate criminal behaviour – polluting the planet, raking in record profits, and sanitising their own image to continue the climate-wrecking cycle.” &mdash; former Green Party MP Caroline Lucas<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>


==Notable examples==
==Notable examples==
 
*BP-post-Gulf oil spill advertisements<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |first=Ria |last=Kakkad |title=Is BP’s latest campaign nothing more than 'sophisticated greenwashing'? |url=https://www.sustainability-beat.co.uk/2023/09/15/bp-greenwashing/ |website=Sustainability / Beat |date=15 Sep 2023 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208053401/https://www.sustainability-beat.co.uk/2023/09/15/bp-greenwashing/ |archive-date=8 Dec 2023}}</ref>
*BP-post-Gulf oil spill advertisements<ref name=":1">[https://www.sustainability-beat.co.uk/2023/09/15/bp-greenwashing/ Is BP’s latest campaign nothing more than 'sophisticated greenwashing'?] - Sustainability / Beat</ref>
*Beverage companies - continuation of the "keep America beautiful" movement<ref name=":0" />
*Beverage companies - continuation of the "keep America beautiful" movement<ref name=":0" />
*Volkswagen - emissions scandal<ref>[https://www.the-independent.com/news/business/analysis-and-features/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-forty-years-of-greenwashing-the-welltravelled-road-taken-by-vw-10516209.html Volkswagen emissions scandal: Forty years of greenwashing - the well-travelled road taken by VW] | The Independent</ref>
*Volkswagen - emissions scandal<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jeff |last=Plungis |title=Volkswagen emissions scandal: Forty years of greenwashing - the well-travelled road taken by VW |url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/business/analysis-and-features/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-forty-years-of-greenwashing-the-welltravelled-road-taken-by-vw-10516209.html |website=The Independent
|date=25 Sep 2015 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405063138/https://www.the-independent.com/news/business/analysis-and-features/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-forty-years-of-greenwashing-the-welltravelled-road-taken-by-vw-10516209.html |archive-date=5 Apr 2025}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
<references />
{{Reflist}}
 
[[Category:Common terms]]
[[Category:Common terms]]

Revision as of 02:38, 14 July 2025

❗Article Status Notice: This Article is a stub

This article is underdeveloped, and needs additional work to meet the wiki's Content Guidelines and be in line with our Mission Statement for comprehensive coverage of consumer protection issues. Learn more ▼

Greenwashing is a form of advertising or marketing that deceptively uses social and environmental public relations (PR) in order to persuade the public that a company's products, goals, or policies are environmentally-friendly. Companies that intentionally adopt greenwashing strategies often do so to distance themselves from their environmental lapses or those of their suppliers. While the term itself was coined in a 1986 essay about the hotel industry's "save the towel" movement,[1] the practice has been traced back to the 1950s with the "keep America beautiful" campaign that places the burden of reducing and recycling litter onto the consumer and shifts the focus away from corporate responsibility.[2]

“Their glitzy advertisements can no longer conceal their climate criminal behaviour – polluting the planet, raking in record profits, and sanitising their own image to continue the climate-wrecking cycle.” — former Green Party MP Caroline Lucas[3]

Notable examples

  • BP-post-Gulf oil spill advertisements[3]
  • Beverage companies - continuation of the "keep America beautiful" movement[2]
  • Volkswagen - emissions scandal[4]

References

  1. ↑ Motavalli, Jim (12 Feb 2011). "A History of Greenwashing: How Dirty Towels Impacted the Green Movement". AOL. Archived from the original on 22 Aug 2024. Retrieved 13 Jul 2025.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Business-Managed Environment — Front Groups — Keep America Beautiful". herinst.org. 2009. Archived from the original on 25 Feb 2012. Retrieved 13 Jul 2025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kakkad, Ria (15 Sep 2023). "Is BP's latest campaign nothing more than 'sophisticated greenwashing'?". Sustainability / Beat. Archived from the original on 8 Dec 2023. Retrieved 13 Jul 2025.
  4. ↑ Plungis, Jeff (25 Sep 2015). "Volkswagen emissions scandal: Forty years of greenwashing - the well-travelled road taken by VW". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 Apr 2025. Retrieved 13 Jul 2025.
Retrieved from "https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=Greenwashing&oldid=16971"