Greenwashing: A Technique to Deceive Environmentalists

Greenwashing is an evolutionary technique developed by large corporations. It’s an emerging strategy to deceive environmentalists. Like every other country, many large companies in Bangladesh are also following this technique to grab the attention of people who are prone to buy products from environment-friendly companies, not from others. This strategy also helps them to remain ahead of other competitor companies. Previously, companies harmed the environment openly. They didn’t care much about the environment or the health of people at all. Because people were unaware and short-sighted, they never protested against large companies, nor did they avoid their products or services. But as the country has now passed some laws against environmental pollution they came up with a clever strategy. Despite their claims that they care for the environment, they continue to carry out environment-unfriendly activities.

What is Greenwashing

The act of giving a false image or providing incorrect information about how an organization’s products are environmentally friendly is known as “greenwashing.” When a firm claims its products are ecologically friendly or have a higher positive environmental impact than they actually do, this practice is generally known as “greenwashing.” Furthermore, a business may engage in “greenwashing” when it highlights a product’s sustainable features to hide its support for harmful environmental practices. The main motives behind “greenwashing” are-

• To profit from the rising demand for environmentally sound products,
• To provide a false impression that a company or its products are environmentally conscious or friendly,
• To capitalize on socially responsible or environmentally conscious people or governing bodies by investing or sponsoring their movements.

The story behind the word “Greenwashing”

The term “Greenwashing” was coined by American environmentalist Jay Wasterveld. He was staying in a hotel with one of those cards that said, “Help save the planet,” followed by an explanation of how much water and power is required to wash visitors’ laundry. The note continued to add that if you want to protect the earth by not washing your towel, leave it on the rack instead of dumping it on the floor. After a brief stay at the hotel, Westerveld discovered that the goal was not to conserve the environment. Instead, the goal was to save the firm money by not cleaning as many sheets. Hotel management placed notices in hotel rooms asking guests to reuse their towels only. This was so that they could enjoy the benefit of lower laundry costs, not to save the earth.

• In 1999 the word “greenwashing” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Examples of Greenwashing

A number of companies in various countries have been attempting to maintain a green image while actually not doing exactly the same thing. Some of the most trusted and reputable companies have done this. These companies have been accused of “greenwashing”, which is when they use marketing tactics to appear to be more environmentally friendly than they actually are. They may make exaggerated claims about how green their products or services are or use logos or other symbols that suggest environmental friendliness without actually having any real environmental impact.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola, a multinational company, was regarded as one of the world’s most sustainable soft drinks companies. They have been the sponsors of the COP21 climate change conference. However, for the 4th year in a row, Coca-Cola continues to dominate as the world’s number 1 plastic polluter in the annual report cited by Break Free From Plastic 2021. The corporation came under fire in 2020 when it said it would not abandon plastic bottles because they were popular with customers. It is estimated that 200,000 metric tons of mismanaged plastic waste, i.e burnt or dumped, is created by Coca-Cola every year.

Even in Bangladesh, it’s the most responsible company for plastic pollution. In June 2021, the environmental organization “Earth Island Institute” sued this beverage giant for falsely advertising that it is sustainable and eco-friendly despite being the world’s largest plastic polluter. In the country, Coca-Cola continued to secure its top position as a plastic polluter for the fifth year in a row. “It looks like Coca-Cola is determined to make sure the world never runs out of plastic!”

PepsiCo

Since 2018, PepsiCo’s ranking has remained consistent in the top three among the top plastic polluters. The company claims to be working for a sustainable future and inspiring people to make positive changes for the planet and people. However, it continues to maintain its position as a leading contributor to plastic pollution. Pepsi produces 2.3 million tons of plastic packaging annually.

Unilever

For the first time since 2018, Unilever has risen to no 3 of the top ten plastic polluters. On their official website, Unilever quotes “We strive to do more good for our planet and our society, not just less harm. We want to act on the social and environmental issues facing the world” and continue to improve their position from number 10 to number 3 among the plastic polluters. Bangladeshi organization Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) similarly reveals the Coca-Cola company as the largest polluter with PepsiCo ranking third and Unilever also featured in their top ten.

Pran-RFL

Pran-RFL quotes “RFL prioritizes environmental sustainability where we think green and work green. Our motto is to achieve a Sustainable Green Planet someday”. But according to the ESDO report 2022, they are in the top position as a plastic polluter in the country along with Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, leaving Unilever in the dust.

Partex Group

Partex Group quotes “We shall harmonize all our actions and reactions with the global environment and actively work to reduce our environmental load.” But actually, they’re doing quite the contrary. Partex Group holds the 4th position as a plastic polluter in the country.

BAT Bangladesh

British American Tobacco Bangladesh is the largest multi-national cigarette company in Bangladesh. In 2017, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) released an advertisement on YouTube where a BATB employee talked about their clean water initiative ‘Probaho’ and claimed that it had changed the lives of hundreds of people in rural communities and protected them from arsenic contamination. On its website, BATB says its purpose is to build a ‘better tomorrow’. But if we dive deep, we will find BAT is one of the largest plastic polluters in the world. Cigarette butts are made of non-biodegradable cellulose acetate is the most common type of plastic litter found on beaches around the world. Once littered, they leach toxic chemicals and can remain for up to ten years, and are toxic to the fish and wildlife that consume them. How can selling cigarettes build a better tomorrow?

In the same way, Nestle Bangladesh’s website shows Nestle’s commitment to sanitation and water efficiency to promote environmental sustainability. Even though all of that appears encouraging, all of these industries consistently pollute the most. However, there has been no significant progress in reducing plastic bottles, packets, and other pollution production; or establishing a recycling infrastructure. Developing countries like Bangladesh, therefore, are largely vulnerable to exploitation due to the lack of strong institutions.

References

• Environment and Social Development Organization Bangladesh
• Brand Audit Report 2021