268
WHITEWASHING,
BUT WITH A
GREEN BRUSH
GREENWASH
When an environmental issue or disaster becomes
public knowledge, many consumers want to help
by shopping responsibly.To attract these customers......Company A
implements
fundamental
environmental
reforms....Company B
makes minimal
changes
in order to
claim green
credentials....Company C
misleads the
public on its
environmental
policies.Some companies use
environmental issues as a
marketing tool—whitewashing,
but with a green brush.IN CONTEXT
FOCUS
Business ethicsKEY DATES
1985 Scientists announce that
they have discovered a hole in
the ozone layer.1986 First use of the term
“greenwash” in an essay by
US environmental activist
Jay Westerveld.1990 By the 20th annniversary
of Earth Day, a quarter of
all new household products
coming on to the US market
are advertised as “recyclable,”
“biodegradable,” “ozone
friendly,” or “compostable.”1992 The Federal Trade
Commission, in association
with the US Environmental
Protection Agency, publishes
“Guidelines for Environmental
Marketing Claims.”1999 The word “greenwash”
enters the Oxford English
Dictionary.Some companies
take environmental
issues seriously.