The term ‘Greenwashing’ was coined by an environmentalist Jay Westerveld in 1986 when he was a student. During one of his visits to a hotel in Fiji, he came across the hotel’s request to reuse towels for the planet’s sake. Jay could see through this request and sensed that the hotel rather wanted to save money on new towels by posing false concern for the environment.
Today, the term ‘greenwashing’ has gained size, and it refers to any misleading marketing tactic where organisations, companies or brands falsely portray their products, services or operations as more environmentally friendly than they actually are. In other words, when companies make false claims or use vague language to create an impression of sustainability, while in reality, having no substantial commitment to green initiatives, they are said to be ‘greenwashing’. Under the pretence of false claims, such companies continue with or expand their polluting and related harmful behaviours, all the while manipulating the system or profiting from well-intentioned, sustainably minded consumers.
Characteristics of Greenwashing
Greenwashing is...
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