It should come as no surprise that sustainable products have become key to engaging customer attention – now, more than ever. As global temperatures reach new highs and the global climate becomes more volatile, many of us want to engage with more thoughtful, green facing forms of consumption. Even less surprising is the way in which many businesses have manipulated this sentiment for profit, often masking their own engagement with unsustainable practices. Many companies sell shoppers the aesthetic of sustainable consumption without committing to any substantial change themselves; this is a form of marketing sleight of hand known as ‘greenwashing’.

“Their supposedly ‘conscious’ line of garments was found to contain more damaging synthetic fibres than their mainline”

Greenwashing takes its most obvious form in the products we find on the high street. Cheaply made plastic shoes are marketed by fast-fashion retailers as being made from ‘vegan leather’, whereas in reality tonnes of deadstock are sent directly to landfills. But many of the high street companies who generate this waste shamelessly cash in on consumer desire to see more sustainable products. Fashion brand H&M recently launched a particularly condescending sustainability campaign featuring actress and activist Maisie Williams, plastering their windows with images of child climate activists and other ‘eco warriors’. Their advertising appeals to teen anxieties over a future imperilled by climate change with an advert featuring Williams staring mournfully at her bedroom wall whilst asking if her actions truly make a difference. The answer, according to H&M, is to consume more of their delightfully recycled clothing, despite the fact that their supposedly ‘conscious’ line of garments was found to contain more damaging synthetic fibres than their mainline.

Fast fashion certainly isn’t the only culprit. Countless beauty brands deceive customers with products wrapped in minimalist green packaging covered with buzz words like ‘natural’ and ‘eco-friendly’. Garnier’s highly popular ‘Organic’ line of products is certainly guilty of this. One need only visit the website to be confronted with the promise that these products are “part of a certain way of thinking and a certain way of buying.” Whilst the company was finally awarded the Leaping Bunny cruelty-free certification in March 2021, it has yet to fully live up to its ethical branding. Despite marketing a natural approach to skincare, the brand is still happy to use damaging chemical fragrances in their product lines, along with ingredients like Cyclopentasiloxane, which does not readily degrade and has been regulated in the EU due to environmental concerns.

“Yet Google and others are happy to work to expand this industry, all whilst loudly advertising the supposedly sustainable ideals at the core of their companies”

Even companies beyond the high street are culpable of greenwashing. Google markets itself as an ethically conscious, sustainable brand. There is even a webpage dedicated to listing the commitments made by the company to eco-friendly action, charting their commitments and progress made. The mission statement of Google’s sustainability lab states the company aims to “get the most out of technology, without using more resources.” Google makes much out of the fact that it has run its data centre in a carbon-neutral fashion and aims to run in an entirely carbon-free fashion by 2030. But the same AI technology developed to run the company in the most energy-efficient way possible is being used to profit the oil industry. Google, along with other big tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft, are actively pursuing deals with the oil industry that will enable fuel to be extracted faster, and with fewer workers. This is obviously the last kind of fuel option we need to be expanding at this crucial tipping point in the climate crisis. Yet Google and others are happy to work to expand this industry, all whilst loudly advertising the supposedly sustainable ideals at the core of their companies.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with marketing sustainability. Indeed, we should want companies to respond to demands for more ethically minded business decisions. The issue arises when companies seek to cash in on the goodwill of customers without earning the sustainable branding that they aggressively push. The most pressing question that arises from this conversation is what we as consumers can do to prevent ourselves from being exploited by greenwashing campaigns. No legal checks currently exist to protect shoppers from being exploited by greenwashing campaigns, although such marketing could potentially fall foul of other legislation. The infrastructure that could hold companies more accountable on this matter is either in its infancy or doesn’t exist.

It is thus consumer awareness where our greatest hope lies. In an ideal world, the onus would fall squarely on a company’s shoulders to live up to its sustainable branding. However, the way in which these corporations operate puts the consumer in a position where a healthy level of scepticism and research on any given green marketing has become the best course of action. The more companies are scrutinised and face public condemnation for their flimsy green policy, the more likely they will be forced to commit to sustainable practice. We should not take this outlook lightly, as vigilance when it comes to holding companies to account can be a draining process. But ultimately, a corporation will only be held to account if we, the consumers, are actively pressing for change. We deserve better from these companies, and our planet deserves better too.