What Is “Greenwashing” and How Is It Harmful?
While buying eco-friendly items may make us feel good, major companies are not always truthful about their methods of production. For the month of September, we’ll dive into this harmful practice and how you can incorporate education of greenwashing into your program theme this month.
Print or Download the September Program Theme Flyer
“Greenwashing” is when a company or corporation encourages you to purchase a more sustainable product without actually changing its business practices. In this way, the company capitalizes on your interest to be more sustainable without living up to its promises. As a result, green marketing is not always truthful and often tells a one-sided story of the production process.
How can you help?
- Research where you buy from and aim to buy less.
- Educate yourself and others on how to spot greenwashing
- Advocate for transparency from large companies and corporations when it comes to their sustainable practices (or lack thereof)
Additional Resources for Greenwashing Education
A Short Introduction to Greenwashing:
An in-depth look at this issue with real-world examples from April 2021:
Program Ideas:
- Host an open forum night to discuss how your community may fall for green marketing and how you can work to prevent it
- Watch an environmentally-conscious film like The True Cost to explore how overlooked business practices impact lives across the world
Email: taika@email.unc.edu Website: go.unc.edu/greengames