simple + green

image credit: Pandiyan

Green products sell. Marketing your product or company as Green is Hot. And big business is all over it.

But telling the world that you’re Green and actually being certified organic/LEED/fair-trade/sustainable/etc. is something different.

Founded by the EnviroMedia Group, The Greenwashing Index defines itself as “the world’s first online interactive forum that allows consumers to evaluate real advertisements making environmental claims.”

Sort of where YouTube meets social networking, all with a Green watchdog flavor.

As for the term Greenwashing , here is how they explain it (full rundown here):

Everyone’s heard the expression “whitewashing” — it’s defined as “a coordinated attempt to hide unpleasant facts, especially in a political context.”

“Greenwashing” is the same premise, but in an environmental context.

It’s greenwashing when a company or organization spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact. It’s whitewashing, but with a green brush.

The site features user-submitted ads which draw attention to companies claiming to be Green. From there, ads are scored based on a Greenwashing Index Rating (5 for most Greenwashing, 1 for least).

This is an incredibly powerful means of exposing businesses. My hope is an outcome where businesses and advertisers recognize the pitfalls of double-speak.

As with anything, there are shades of truth to everything. Which is where the rating system comes in. Providing this feedback directly to the companies is always the best means. But there’s nothing like a little public shame to reset expectations.

If they’re not yet aware of this index, it’s up to us to make them aware.

So, thank you to EnviroMedia Social Marketing for The Greenwashing Index (and thanks to the Nice White Lady for this tip).