Greenwashing or genuinely organic? Greenwashing and false claims by companies can mislead you when you go to buy a product. But there is hope...

Are the products on supermarket shelves marked ‘green’ genuinely green? In a world where consumers are becoming increasingly environment-conscious, there is no dearth of marketers luring unsuspecting shoppers with labels such as “organic, chemical-free, 100 per cent natural, sustainable” or even “vegan”. These tags may appear on a range of goods, from food to cosmetics, and make half-true or often false claims.

Welcome to the world of greenwashing, a term that will gain increasing currency as the world grapples with climate change and environmental concerns. Greenwashing is when a company asserts that its practices and products are environment-friendly, but these claims are sometimes misleading or untrue.

It is often all about clever marketing, which hides specific facts related to ingredients used. Thus, a colouring agent derived from an insect may be concealed in the fine print on the label so that consumers who are touchy about such things do not notice it.

A friend of mine, a recently converted vegan, is very fussy about the cosmetics she uses and is careful not to use products that harm or use living creatures during their ­manufacture. Imagine her shock when she learnt that the ‘carmine’ added to many organically produced cosmetics is made from crushed scaled insects, including beetles. Apparently, synthetic carminic acid involves a complex and expensive production process, with most manufacturers using the ‘insect-derived’ product.

Since she became aware, my friend has begun boycotting several cosmetics and relies on her natural skin texture and tone to good effect!

Food products have also turned green in recent years. “Pesticide and fertilizer-free,” scream labels from packaged pulses, fruits and vegetables. Can we trust these claims? Organic farming means crops cultivated without factory-produced pesticides, chemical fertilisers and genetically modified seeds. It also means agricultural practices that follow rotational farming practices that replenish the land under cultivation. In short, organic farming involves eschewing modern methods, which boost production but also infuse unhealthy side effects into the eventual produce.

It would be impossible for us to inspect the fields where produce sold under a brand name is grown. Luckily, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has a new logo — the Unified India Organic —which will soon be on all certified organic products. The green coloured logo has one circle, a leaf, and a tick mark on it. It will replace the existing India Organic and Jaivik Bharat logos.

For vegetables, it is best to trust local organic farms you have visited, or your friends are familiar with. Unless a trusted brand name sells certified organic vegetables, you cannot be confident about the quality of your purchase. At the root of the problem is that organic vegetables and fruits sell at a premium, and the lure of passing off cheaper produce as organic incentivises many unscrupulous traders. Also, remember that organic veggies and fruits may not look as attractive and colourful as those treated with pesticides and fed on chemical fertilisers.

Since environmental impact influences consumer decisions, with a growing number willing to pay extra for eco-friendly products, many companies try to build brand loyalty by exaggerating their green efforts and environmental commitment. After processing several complaints over the last few years, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has drawn up guidelines to check greenwashing in advertisements. Simultaneously, under the Commerce Ministry, India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has released draft guidelines to target false or misleading environmental claims.

However, you can spot greenwashing by following a few guidelines set out by experts in the field. One tactic manufacturers employ is highlighting the positives while downplaying the negatives. So, the promoters of fast fashion (cheap, stylish and inexpensive clothing) will tell you how affordable it is, how it provides variety, and how it generates employment. But they won’t tell you about the waste it generates, the water it consumes, or its carbon footprint.

The ground rule to follow is to look beyond the marketing hype. Don’t be fooled by words like “natural, eco-friendly, sustainable and non-toxic”. Minus any substantiation, such claims on product labels are vague and mean nothing. You should not be fooled by the words thrown at you unless they are backed by proof. For example, products made from paper are recyclable, but what of the trees cut to produce paper? The manufacturer replanting trees is not quite the same as the virgin forests destroyed to make the product.

Greenwashing also occurs when a company makes statements about its commitment to a cleaner planet. So, when a consumer picks up product X manufactured by a company that proclaims its environment-friendly status on the label, he/she is led to believe that the product must be green. This may only sometimes be the case. Similarly, nature-based imagery of forests, waterfalls and animals may be used to suggest that a product is ‘natural’.

Even certifications on labels must be read carefully to ensure their authenticity. There have been instances when manufacturers have partnered with organisations that provide official-sounding green certificates for their products. One example often cited is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) in US and Canada, launched by the logging industry to create the appearance of eco-friendly practices for consumers!

In India, the ASCI’s new guidelines to check greenwashing in advertising will help. So, too, will the draft rules framed by the CCPA. Once approved, the rules will hopefully ensure “truthful, accurate and verifiable environmental claims, backed by evidence and disclosures.” Ads will also be substantiated with QR codes or links to prove the green claims and green supply chain. The rules will apply to all advertisers, service providers, product sellers, ad agencies or endorsers.

That, along with the United India Organic certification, will be a significant step forward in ensuring that we buy organic products when we buy organic. Cheers to that! Do give a second look at the label when you buy an eco-friendly product next time.

The writer is a senior journalist who writes on environmental issues