Imagine this scenario: you arrive at a Michelin-starred restaurant, order your favorite food, and cannot wait to enjoy the combination of quality ingredients and skillful cooking. But when the waiter brings you the food, you notice that despite the fancy plates where it is presented, nothing is as expected, because the food is microwaved from frozen. Hence, instead of enjoying a satisfying culinary experience, you end up disappointed. This is what greenwashing does: it makes you feel betrayed and misled. If you aren’t familiar with the term” greenwashing,” let us break it down for you. Simply put, greenwashing happens when a business states that it is committed to sustainability when that’s not the case. For instance, a company could say a plastic product is biodegradable when, in fact, it only breaks down under certain industrial conditions, which are generally not available.

In this situation, eco-conscious consumers believe that they can throw the product in compost as soon as they are finished with it, as it will go back to the earth safely. However, if they realized that they unintentionally contributed to plastic pollution, they would likely be not just disappointed but also really angry! And as a business owner, that’s not what you want your customers to experience, do you? You want them to experience fulfillment and excitement, and above all, honesty. To help you do that, we put together a list of 8 tips to avoid greenwashing. Check them out!

Do not overpromise

Here’s the thing: you should never make unrealistic promises. There’s no use in claiming that you will switch to 100% renewable energy by the end of the year if you know that’s unlikely to happen. While it may sound impressive, if the end of the year comes and you don’t manage to accomplish that, it will leave the impression that you never wanted to honor your commitment. So, a better approach is to make promises you know you can keep and overdeliver if possible. For instance, you can communicate smaller goals in the first place, such as investing in Mil-tek XP300 waste compactor, which will help you manage your waste better. Customers will appreciate every little effort, and ultimately, tiny actions will result in a bigger change throughout the time, so what really matters is to stay honest and transparent.

Be as specific as you can

Make sure that the terms you use aren’t vague or exaggerated, such as “eco-friendly,” “green,” or “completely sustainable” – especially if there’s no data you can back them up with. Instead, talk about your sustainability effort by using specific language that you can support with real results and quantifiable data. For instance, rather than using the word” energy-efficient,” you can be more explicit by saying something like” This product utilizes 25% less energy than the industry standard”.

Give evidence for your claims

As already stated, when making any sustainability claims, it’s essential to back them up with solid certifications, data, and case studies. For instance, if you tell customers that you are a carbon-neutral company, it’s imperative to prove that it is true by offering some evidence, such as a certificate and possibly a detailed account of the action you took to achieve your carbon neutrality goals.

Consider your imagery

If you want to be transparent about your sustainability efforts, don’t focus only on the words you use but also on the imagery. In other words, try not to use images that imply benefits to the planet, like pictures of animals, nature, or leaves, without context. It’s essential to substantiate your related sustainability credentials because that’s how you will be able to build trust among customers.

Create two-way communication

Sustainability communication isn’t a one-way street. If you want to demonstrate that you are serious about your sustainability efforts and that you have nothing to hide, it’s a good idea to build avenues for employees, customers, and stakeholders to offer feedback on your sustainability performance and participate in discussions about sustainability. Whether through community events, forums, social media, or dedicated sections on your website, allowing for this kind of two-way dialogue will promote transparency in your business and build trust in your credentials about sustainability.

Pursue third-party certifications

Pursuing recognized certifications such as B Corp, Fair Trade, or Carbon Trust can be very helpful as they will offer external validation of your sustainability efforts. If customers can see that experts from outside your business are backing up your claims, this will give them more confidence that you’re being honest and authentic. Just beware of the fact that not all certifications are the same, so you want to ensure that they are relevant and legitimate. This is important especially because using unverifiable certifications or self-created ones can undermine your credibility.

Educate your team

Your customers shouldn’t be the only ones you talk to about greenwashing. The experts inside your company should also be familiar with the topic and understand your efforts to avoid it. Educating them and getting them engaged with your commitment to sustainability will allow them to act as your sustainability brand ambassadors. As a result, they will be able to tell everyone they meet in the outside world that your company doesn’t just talk the talk but also walks the sustainability walk.

Be honest about your setbacks

The truth is that you won’t do things perfectly when it comes to sustainability, but what matters is to be real. Nobody expects you to do everything right – what they want to know is that you are making an effort to reverse the effects of climate change and that you are honest about it. So, don’t just share your successes; talk about your setbacks too. Open up about the obstacles you’ve faced along the way, and every failure from your sustainability journey. Believe it or not, these kinds of stories will resonate more with people than any success story you may tell, helping build trust and showcasing a genuine commitment to improvement.

Last words

Greenwashing can have massive repercussions on your business, leading to reputational damage, and legal implications, among other things. And the truth is that coming back from these things can be really challenging. Why should you risk facing such issues when you can instead take action and stand out as a reliable, sustainable business? Instead of making false environmental claims, strive for an eco-friendlier future, and remain honest about your successes as well as your challenges and mistakes. If you do that, everyone will appreciate your genuine effort and will be glad to continue doing business with you.