Coming Clean About Greenwashing
By Mike Sawchuk, Vice President & General Manager, Enviro-Solutions Ltd.

In November 2007, Canada’s own EcoLogo/TerraChoice Environmental Marketing organization shook the consumer world when it issued its report, The Six Sins of Greenwashing™, A Study of Environmental Claims in North American Consumer Markets.  The study was based on a six product category survey at major big-box stores.
In their investigation, 1018 consumer products were identified making a total of 1753 environmental claims. But of the 1018 products examined, all but one made false or misleading claims “that risk misleading interest [consumer] audiences,” said the report.
Although the study dealt exclusively with consumer goods – and these were all kinds of products from cigarettes to insecticides – there is still a lot the professional cleaner can learn from the study. Knowing why a product is Green, what ingredients it has or does not have that make the product Green, and understanding the value of certification, among other things, all contribute to proper Green cleaning and protecting the health of cleaning workers, building occupants and the environment. In other words, knowledge is power and the more we know, the healthier we all will be.

The Six Sins
As they investigated the products labelled Green, the researchers identified six distinct manufacturing claims or patterns – the six sins – that appear to be false or misleading. They are:
  (1)  Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off:  This is when the manufacturer terms a product “Green” based on a single environmental attribute, such as the fact that the product is made from recycled content. However, the same product may also contain ingredients that are known to be harmful to human health and the environment. These get little mention, so the consumer thinks the product is Greener than it really is.
  (2)  Sin of No Proof:  Several of the products made environmental claims but did not substantiate them with supporting evidence, certification or any independent, third-party verification. For instance, several facial tissues and paper products claimed they had recycled content without indicating how much or providing any solid proof.
  (3)  Sin of Vagueness: Many products made claims that were so vague or poorly defined they had no meaning. For instance, some products said they were “chemical free” – however, no product is totally free of chemicals. Others said they were “natural” – however, arsenic is also “natural,” as is uranium, tobacco, mercury and other potentially harmful products.
  (4)  Sin of Irrelevance: The most frequent example of this sin was the claim made by so many products that they contain no CFC, or chlorofluorocarbon, an ingredient that contributes to ozone depletion. The fact is CFC has been banned for almost 30 years. In other words, it simply is no longer an issue and certainly does not carry the significance to call a product Green.
  (5)  Sin of Fibbing:  This is self-explanatory. Some products said they were certified organic, Energy Star registered, or made of 100 per cent recycled content when, in fact, they were not.
  (6)  Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils:  One tobacco company marketed their cigarettes as organic, intended to make consumers think they might be healthier smoking these cigarettes. However, consumers would be better served by quitting smoking entirely. Cigarettes, whether made of conventional or organic tobacco, are a risk to human health.

Jansan Applications
Although there are exceptions, we are fortunate in the jansan industry that most of the major manufacturers marketing products as environmentally preferable have had some of their products Green certified by a respected, independent, third-party organization. In fact, our industry has taken a leadership role in recognizing the value of certification, and it did this on its own, with little or no government involvement.
This has also eliminated a lot of cynicism and doubt about Green products and Green cleaning. Many of the early environmentally friendly products introduced in the 1970s turned out to have few environmental protections and many were later discovered to be even more detrimental than the conventional products they were marketed to replace. This is considered one of the reasons many consumers turned away from Green products in the 1980s.
But what does Green certification really mean? There are actually multiple considerations that determine whether a product can be called Green. For instance, the ingredients in the product must have a reduced or minimal impact on the environment. Product packaging is also involved. The product should be packaged in recycled and recyclable containers. And, in every phase of the product’s life cycle – from the way it is manufactured to its ultimate disposal – must be designed to help protect the environment.
If the product is not Green, manufacturers should not indicate or imply that it is. Instead, the manufacturer should clearly list all of the ingredients used to make the product. Just as most food products are now required to list nutritional facts, allowing consumers to make a healthier food choice, full disclosure of ingredients allows the cleaning professional to evaluate a product and make a selection that is more environmentally responsible.

What We Can Do
Because this study received so much attention throughout North America, it is likely that consumers and cleaning professionals are much more aware of the “tricks” manufacturers may play when it comes to identifying their products as Green. But because knowledge is power, we can help put an end to a great deal of this by knowing what to look for.
The easiest way to do this in our cleaning work is to look for the EcoLogo or Green Seal label. Not only does this validate that the product is environmentally preferable, but because these organizations audit and continue to inspect these certified products, we know that they will continue to be safe for the user, building occupants and environment.

Mike Sawchuk is vice president and general manager of Enviro-Solutions, a manufacturer of Green cleaning products based in Peterborough, Ont.