Unscrupulous business practices gain companies a bad reputation and anger those they want to attract as lifelong customers. Going green requires effort, time and money. However, consumers are willing to pay more and be loyal to eco-friendly brands. Unfortunately, this makes it tempting for companies to say they’re doing something good for the environment when they aren’t. That’s greenwashing, and more often than not, it is used in marketing.

Greenwashing is when a company claims to be eco-friendly but does not change any practices. For example, a business might say it’s water positive but doesn’t install automatic faucets in its building, fix water basin issues on its property or seek other means of improving the problem.

How Can Greenwashing in Marketing Be Prevented?

Greenwashing might not always be intentional. Companies sometimes think they are greener than they actually are. It’s also difficult to know every instance where businesses might negatively impact the planet without some outside input.

A recent Harris poll found that around 86% of company leaders feel their brands are doing an excellent job preserving the environment. Unfortunately, about 58% of the same people say they’ve greenwashed their efforts at sustainability. Fortunately, there are some checks and balances to ensure companies aren’t overstating their efforts and misleading customers.

1. Get an Outside Audit

Companies can avoid greenwashing by seeking a third party to fact-check claims. An outside source doesn’t have the personal investment CEOs or owners do. It can look at the marketing claim and ensure it lives up to the words and it’s not a greenwashing effort.

An outside energy audit also helps show where improvement is needed. It doesn’t do much good to increase company recycling and use more fuel fossils in the process.

2. Encourage Remote Work

Reducing commutes lessens CO2 emissions as people stay home and work rather than travelling to and from a building. Around 28% of greenhouse gas emissions are from transportation. However, efforts to get more people to work remotely in London cut evening commute emissions by about 34%.

Even a hybrid approach, where people work from home some days and in the office others, can make a difference. Employees can carpool or ride a bike to work, and companies can offer incentives to those who do so. They can then highlight these efforts in their marketing as long as employees participate.

3. Be Transparent

Companies can open data to the general public about efforts to reduce their carbon footprints. No company is perfect, and customers don’t expect them to be. What they expect is honesty and effort.

Businesses can share data and ask for ideas to improve efforts. Outside parties sometimes have unique experiences with greening a business or knowing how systems work. They may think of something the company hasn’t thought of. Not all feedback can be implemented, but eco-friendly nuggets can be applied.

Companies should be willing to implement customer feedback as part of their green marketing strategies. They can share words from customers who suggest changes and explain how they applied the concept.

4. Refrain From Exaggerations

It’s tempting to explain everything done right when marketing a business. Unfortunately, this can lead to exaggerations. Data can often be twisted to state almost anything by leaving out some facts and selecting others.

Managers should check and recheck facts to ensure they are accurate and complete. Does the wording make efforts sound ten times better than they are? If so, they should rework the ad campaign.

5. Seek the Right Technology

Consider the equipment used in business. Manufacturers can greatly impact water pollution and invest in solar energy.

Companies should examine the third-party providers they use and see what their green practices are. For example, a website server or cloud provider can have a negative impact. The average person using their phone for one hour daily creates 1.4 tons of carbon dioxide a year. Imagine how much more impact a data centre has, with 24/7 operations and energy demands?

6. Avoid Vague Promises

Most companies don’t intentionally greenwash when marketing their products. However, using vague language often leads to user expectations failing. For example, a brand might claim it’s aggressively reducing waste.

The average customer might take reducing waste to mean using less water, recycling 90% of what the company consumes and using sustainable products. The company may have meant it uses less paper and recycles it.

Whenever possible, businesses should set specific expectations for their claims. “Our brand will reduce printed paper by 80% and recycle 85% of what we do use. We will buy recycled paper for the few projects that need it.” Managers should play with wording, reduce language and add links to additional info to fit with marketing efforts. However, being specific helps avoid misunderstandings and accusations of greenwashing.

Appoint a Team and Avoid Greenwashing

Employees who are truly passionate about sustainability could help form a company’s dream team. They can ensure claims are accurate and find new ways to improve a brand’s eco-friendly stance. The more businesses care about being green, the more workers will care and hold them accountable for marketing messages.