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   Greenwashing's Gray Areas

From supermarket shelves to manufacturing processes to corporate sustainability programs, we see and hear more marketing of green every day - but are these brands really all about the environment, or more about the dollars?

It's generally assumed that today's consumers consider the social impact of products before purchasing them. The research on this varies widely, in part because consumers' self-perceptions don't always match up with their behavior patterns. But one thing is undeniable: major brands are jumping on the green bandwagon in very public and often unexpected ways that raise serious questions about authenticity, transparency and accountability in brand communications.

Opinions vary as to what is "greenwashing"?
Greenwashing is usually defined as the promotion of unsubstantiated claims of environmentally friendly products and/or policies, and many argue that it is a pervasive issue that slows and distracts from real sustainability progress. Does any of this sound familiar?

• "Certified organic shampoo," but certified by whom and why remains a mystery.

• 100+ page mail-order catalogs advertising sustainable home goods.

• "CFC-free air freshener." Which is important, because CFCs were banned in 1978.

• Coal companies spending millions of dollars to promote Earth Day. Read more...