The demand from consumers for products to be environmentally responsible is growing at a rapid pace.  Some companies claim the products they are selling are sustainable or good for the environment. This isn’t always the case and sometimes companies outright lie about their products.

This practice has been named “greenwashing.” What is greenwashing? Greenwashing is when a company’s marketing misleads consumers into believing a company is more environmentally friendly than it is. Their marketing will contain words such as, organic, green, natural, eco, etc. Or the packaging will show the color green, trees, the earth, and animals. All of this is designed to give the consumer the allusion that the product is safe for the environment.

 How can you protect yourself from being a victim of greenwashing? The first thing you can do is to avoid buying a protect because of the pictures on the packaging. Buying a laundry soap because it has a green leaf on the label is not a reason to purchase it. Watch out for buzzwords we previously mentioned. Don’t buy a product because you see the wordsustainable, biodegradable, eco-friendly, etc. Instead look for specific language about the product, not vague. Don’t hesitate toread the label completely or visit a company’s website to get in-depth information about their products. Another thing I look for is eco-friendly logos. If you see the logo for B-Corp this is proof the company has met environmental performance standards. Other logos to look for are Fairtrade, Leed, Seafood Watch, or USDA Organic.

We all want to buy products that are safe to go on our bodies, in our homes, and down the drain. With a little due diligence, we can buy safe effective products to do just this!