Worldwide, Google searches for ‘greenwashing’ are up 51% in the last month and 32% in the same period in the UK as more and more people want to understand the truth behind sustainability.
In today's environmentally conscious landscape, people are more and more drawn to products and services that offer eco-friendly attributes. However, greenwashing has emerged amidst the increasing number of "green" marketing campaigns. Exaggerating or making false claims about the environmental benefits of a product or company, greenwashing misleads consumers into believing they are making sustainable choices when they may not be.
Experts at sustainable drinks brand, DASH Water, want consumers to be empowered to support authentically sustainable brands. That’s why Jack Scott, Co Founder and CMO at DASH Water, provides a consumer checklist to spot the difference between genuine sustainability and greenwashing.
Check the Website
“Companies that are legitimately doing their bit are often transparent about their goals, irrespective of whether they fully achieve them. Their website will often contain their sustainability initiatives with detailed impact and progress reports, detailed information around the supply chain for their products and evidence of such practices being in place.”
Spot the Badges
“Understanding the different accreditation schemes businesses can earn for their sustainability is important so you can see the context behind the badge. Accreditation schemes like Soil Association, Fairtrade, Forest Stewardship, Marine Stewardship, EU Ecolabel, Carbon Trust, B Corp, and Sustainable Palm Oil all mean varying things for a business so learn what they really mean for sustainability.”
Message the brand
“Don’t be afraid to contact the brand, whether that’s through email or with a simple Instagram message. Engage in open conversations that allow brands the opportunity to share more about their sustainability schemes, be honest about where they think they need to do more work or understand more about it beyond marketing campaigns.”
Stay Updated
“Finally, the more you can continue to learn about what authentic sustainability looks like then the easier it will be to see through more performative measures. Stay up to date with how far brands can push their sustainability marketing by law and understand more about the language used in these circumstances.”
Jack Scott, comments, “At DASH, we’re always striving to do better when it comes to sustainability and take pride in the transparency of our efforts. Our initial brand mission was borne from misshapen fruits and has taken us on a journey towards B Corp certification, carbon labelling and achieving carbon neutrality. We can’t claim to be perfect here, but we like to ensure that what we do claim is true to empower our customers to make better choices and be authentic with them.”