Greenwashing: Don’t Be Mislead by Phony ‘Green’ Marketing

"Green" has flooded the home building industry, and now business owners and managers are seeing green everywhere they look.

As consumer interest in environmentally-sound products and practices grows, businesses find themselves in a position to get on the bandwagon, or else lose out on the opportunity to help their bottom lines, not just now but also in the future.

Clearly there are many takers. However, business owners looking to cash in on sustainability need to be careful. While making, marketing or promoting green practices make business and practical, a rush to be green can lead to problems down the road.

Greenwashing
A concept known as ‘greenwashing’ has created a tough challenge for business owners who want to take the step towards sustainability.

Simply stated, ‘greenwashing’ refers to the practice of advertising or offering ‘green’ products that—in fact—aren’t as kind to the environment as they should be.

TerraChoice, a Philadelphia-based environmental marketing firm, has found that it is quite common for companies to make misleading claims about ‘green’ benefits, such as claiming to be organic without any verification. Other unscrupulous offenders present confusing or deceptive information about the environmental benefits of a product.

Call for Honest Labeling

TerraChoice and other groups have called for a better system of ‘green’ product labeling, citing research that indicates that 72 percent of survey participants believe that eco-labels contribute to better purchasing decisions.

“Unfortunately, it is still a bit of the Wild West when searching for building products where claims are made with little backing or verification,” says environmental expert Kim Carlson, author of the new book, Green Your Work: Boost Your Bottom Line While Reducing Your Eco-Footprint.

“Because of the lack of a universal ‘green’ building product standards and the patchwork of current certifications, it can be darn confusing. One way to avoid greenwashing is to talk to your fellow building industry professionals and see which products they’ve used, and how well they performed,” Carlson says.

There are other ways for small-business owners to make sure that products and equipment are really ‘green.’ Experts say taking the following simple steps can help:

Turn to Uncle Sam
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can help business owners through its Energy Star program. For example, Energy Star can help you rate your operation for energy efficiency through an energy audit.

In 2007, Energy Star saved businesses, organizations and homes more than $16 billion on utility bills. The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) is now seeking a 30 percent improvement in members’ energy usage by working with Energy Star. Energy Star also approves many products used by the building industry, such as battery chargers, air-conditioners, dehumidifiers, furnaces, insulation, roofing materials, windows, light bulbs and lighting fixtures.

Reach out to Non-profit Organizations
There are a number of non-profit groups devoted to evaluating the ‘green factor’ in products. Washington, D.C.-based Green Seal, for example, evaluates and certifies products such as industry-strength cleaning materials, commercial adhesives, lighting, paints, and even paper towels and engine oil.

The evaluation process includes input from universities, environmental/consumer groups and industry members.

Another reputable organization is the Forest Stewardship Council, which monitors and approves wood products that come from forests that the council has identified as meeting stringent environmental management requirements.

Jeff Taub, owner of Kittle’s Flooring Company in Cooper City, Fla., says the council’s seal of approval is a great source of comfort. “Many customers come to me asking for bamboo or other products made from outside the U.S. that are not from managed forests,” says Taub, who also attempts to ensure, based upon literature provided by his manufacturers and distributors, that none of his installation jobs use materials containing formaldehyde or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). “These are the same customers whom I talk to about the importance of what a Forest Stewardship Council certification means.”

Use Recycled materials
Recycled products, of course, are always a means of environmental stewardship. Stone, sand, mulch, topsoil and other materials can all be recovered from prior usage. Wood is another way that Taub seeks to make a contribution. “There’s a lot of reclaimed lumber that’s available to be made into flooring,” he says.

Even though there is currently no national regulatory body designed to evaluate whether products or services are ‘green’ enough, business owners shouldn’t take that as an invitation purchase or pass along products that aren’t truly environmentally safe.

The best solution is to practice honesty and discretion. Customers will ultimately appreciate your efforts, and that will translate into credibility, which could have you seeing green of another kind.