Product Greenwashing: Is it a Marketing Gimmick?
The marketing concept has evolved over the past five years with different domain concepts such as product concept, production concept, the marketing concept, and societal marketing concept. As consumers gain awareness of some of the products in which they use, they begin to be selective on what products they can purchase. As a result, organizations have had to restructure their product design and manufacturing processes to satisfy the needs of the consumers. Some of the concepts that have emerged in recent years concerning products are “eco-sustainability.” Products that have an “eco” tag on their label tend to be more preferred among consumers as they perceive these products to have a positive impact on the environment. Other concepts such as “organic” on food products have also emerged as consumers become more aware of their health and the impact they have on the environment. However, corporations fail to understand the concept behind eco-sustainability and use it as a ruse to gain more consumers. Ignorance from consumers, unethical practices, and misinformation from producers are among the highest contributors to product greenwashing. The following study assesses greenwashed products, how they are marketed to consumers, and how product greenwashing can be mitigated.
According to Seretny et al., the current socioeconomic landscape is shaped by both technology and globalization. As such, consumers expect an organization to have a moral obligation to society by implementing corporate policies that will help make the world a better place (Seretny et al. 3). Kemper et al., on the other hand, argue that the concept of ecological sustainability, which has been employed by organizations, is an individual taste rather than a social necessity (Kemperet al. 2). However, the author notes that the concept of sustainability has remained a pressing challenge on how organizations respond to climate change, land, and water degradation (Kemperet al. 5). Furthermore, many researchers agree that the world is on the brink of a catastrophe and, therefore, the need for sustainable measures to deal with environmental issues (Kemperet al. 5). Despite the need to provide sustainable means, businesses are using greenwashing of products to cut on competition and further improve on sales.
Dubihlela notes that for a product to qualify as eco-friendly, “it should be bio-degradable, recyclable, ozone-friendly, reusable, and renewable” (pg. 164).Onurlubaş, on the other hand, identifies a product is eco-friendly provided the product that “minimum harm is given to the natural environment” (pg. 12).The author notes that for sustainability in the environment, there is a need for extensive use of eco-friendly products. However, in a survey carried out by Khandelwalet al., the findings indicated that consumers are aware that they are sold greenwashed products. However, a majority fail to acknowledge that they have been greenwashed (pg. 611). The author notes that the main reason for the confusion is the failure by product marketers in defining some of the terms used in their products, such as biodegradable and ozone friendly (pg. 608). This results in consumers being duped in purchasing a greenwashed product. Ignorance from consumers is another factor that contributes to product greenwashing as consumers fail to conduct research on the products which they are purchasing.
Examples of products that contrast differences between a greenwashed product and normal products are Earth Breeze and Green Shield Organic. Both are detergents being sold in the U.S. However, Earth Breeze is marketed as an eco-product, whereas Green Shield Organicis being marketed as an organic detergent. One of the main aspects that stands out from the Earth Breeze detergent is the markers around the packaging of the product. At a glance, a consumer gets to see information such as “biodegradable” and a recycle symbol. The primary aim is to assure the consumer that the packaging of the product can quickly decompose and not pollute the atmosphere. This is one of the strategies in which organizations use in their packaging, ditching the traditional plastic packaging in favor of biodegradable products that have a low carbon footprint. Another marker is the use of “eco-sheets” on the front display of the packaging. This may seem like a marketing gimmick using the tag “eco” as it may not be apparent to the consumer what “eco-sheets” are. The placement of the “eco” label is aimed at making the consumer perceive the product as a green product. The packaging also uses the term “eco-friendly” and “non-toxic” on the packaging.
The product uses two color themes associated with the environment (green and blue) intending to create an image of an environmentally conscious product. It is easy for consumers to notice the minor nuances, especially with the presentation of Earth Breeze as compared to Green Shield Organic. Earth Breeze has been greenwashed to be perceived as a green product to the consumers. Green Shield Organic, on the other hand, is different in contrast compared to Earth Breeze. Despite not having many eco-labels, Green Shield Organic comes in a small form factor compared to Earth Breeze. The detergent is small hence does not use a lot of plastic materials. Green Shield Organic detergent has similar color schemes to Earth Breeze. Green Shield Organic does a better job listing all the chemicals used on the product despite using the term “organic.” The aim is to make consumers aware of the chemicals and potential allergy reactions. Earth Breeze, however, fails to list some of the ingredients. Furthermore, there are no tests to determine Earth Breeze’s chemicals and their potential reactions to chemicals when consumers use the products.
Works Cited
Dubihlela, Job, and TandiswaNgxukumeshe. “Eco-friendly retail product attributes, customer attributes, and the repurchase intentions of South African consumers.” International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER) 15.4 (2016): 163-174.
Kemper, Joya A., C. Michael Hall, and Paul W. Ballantine. “Marketing and Sustainability: Business as Usual or Changing Worldviews?.” (2019): 780.
Khandelwal, Manvi, et al. “GREENWASHING: A Study on the Effects of Greenwashing on Consumer Perception and Trust Build-Up.” International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 2019, pp. 607–612.
Onurlubaş, Ebru. “Knowledge Levels of the Consumers About Eco-Friendly Products.” The Journal of International Scientific Researches 2.7: 11-18.
Seretny, Marek, and Aleksandra SERETNY. “Sustainable Marketing–a new era in the face of social, economic, and environmental change.”