A guide to greenwashing & what to do if you spot it in the beauty industry
By Rebecca Hitchon | 19 June 2024 | Expert Advice, Feature, Sustainability & the environment
While public interest in and understanding of eco purchasing choices has increased dramatically in recent years, buying a product that is sustainable isn’t as straightforward as it may seem.
“Consumers expect sustainability and corporate responsibility to be a given, not a differentiating factor. However, I think this is a key driver behind greenwashing: when a company makes environmental claims without being able to back them up,” says Yasmine Amr, founder of Boop: a beauty and wellness retailer offering discounted products that would otherwise be destroyed or wasted. “The result is companies misleading customers into believing they are more environmentally friendly than they are.”
“The beauty industry is rife with greenwashing tactics, which provide vague or misleading information about environmental, social and governance practices, to win over customers,” adds Jessi Baker, a member of the Sustainable Beauty Coalition advisory committee & founder of sustainability marketing technology brand, Provenance. “But consumers are getting wise to it: 41% of beauty shoppers surveyed by The Pull Agency in 2022 said that greenwashing is noticeable.”
How are green claims regulated?
“The term ‘greenwashing’ isn’t defined under UK law, however there are laws around misleading practices, which have consequences like fines or imprisonment if they are likely to affect consumers’ purchasing decisions,” explains Yasmine Amr. “There are also regulatory codes containing guidance on green claims. These don’t come with penalties and legal consequences currently.”
In January, members of the European Parliament and European Council approved the ban of generic environmental claims that cannot be proven, such as ‘green’, ‘eco’, ‘environmentally friendly’ and ‘natural’.
Claims that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive impact on the environment because its producer offsets emissions are included within the ban. Also set to be banned are sustainability labels not based on approved certification schemes or established by public authorities. EU countries have 24 months to incorporate the ban into their national laws.
Signs of greenwashing
“Tell-tale signs of greenwashing include unproven or unsubstantiated claims, vague language with no specific definition like ‘eco’ or ‘green’ and self-accreditation: where a brand does not work with an independent company to ensure reputable transparency or verification,” shares Jessi Baker.
“Signs of greenwashing can also also be labels or natural-looking packaging, which create the impression that a product is a more environmentally friendly option, or a retailer promoting a ‘conscious edit’ of products if the standard for inclusion is lower than a consumer may expect,” reveals Yasmine Amr. “Sometimes, greenwashing can be more difficult to spot, for example when a brand includes recycling claims and symbols on products without properly explaining how the items can be recycled.”
Greenwashing can be spotted via the Greenwashing Compass, a tool by EY, which analyses text based on criteria outlined in the Guide Against Greenwashing, by environmental organisations, Skift, Zero, Future In Our Hands and WWF Norway.
Spotted greenwashing? Here’s what to do
“If you think a brand is using greenwashing tactics, carry out some research into if the company has third-party certification, such as B Corp, PETA Cruelty-Free, Fairtrade, COSMOS, the Vegan Society and the Soil Association,” advises Jess Rigg, project manager at Green Salon Collective, which helps UK salons to reduce and consciously dispose of their waste and reduce emissions.
“Ask the brand about their claims on social media or another public channel – they won’t address the issue if they aren’t asked about it,” notes Jessi Baker. “Then, direct the brand to Provenance, where there are free resources to help brands, such as training and a framework that provides clear standards on how to make over 120 different claims.”