Greenwashing

Introduction

Greenwashing is a hot topic that is closely related to society and corporate advertising. Greenwashing is defined as “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an

environmentally responsible public image” (Mitchell, and Ramey 41). Going green is being pushed heavily in the media and is having great influence on how members of society operate. This alone makes this topic an important issue. Many companies and multi-national corporations who claim to be environmentally friendly are not actually practicing green business techniques, but instead implementing the use of green washing techniques to intentionally mislead the public.

Greenwashing Techniques

The use of greenwashing techniques is becoming more prevalent in companies and multi-national corporations, enabling them to capitalize on the green movement in the advertising sector . People are often bombarded with false advertisements that appeal to the consumers ability to live health sustainable lifestyles. The controversy surrounding greenwashing, is that products that contain elements of greenwashing insist they are indeed eco-friendly, when often times there are no environmental or sustainable benefits that can be attributed to the product.

There are an array of green washing techniques used by companies to mislead the public. One technique in particular preys on the consumers' willingness to preserve the environment. Research shows that, “ These environmental attitudes are increasingly reflected in consumers' purchasing behavior: In the United States, 83 percent of consumers in a 1993 poll stated that they were willing to pay more for environmentally sound products” (Kirchhoff 406). Companies recognize this preference and heavily advertise products to the public they claim are eco-friedly and sustainable. Instead, these purchases turn out to be systematically greenwashed products. It is evident that companies and multi-national corporations greenwash for the sole...