In last week's post, I shared a few of the environmentally-friendly organizations that rely heavily on donations. I thought it would also be helpful to share organizations or companies that may “green-wash” you.
Green-washing means that a company presents itself as very earth-friendly, but tend to still have poor practices. Some of these may surprise you, some not so much. Whatever the case, I hope I can provide new knowledge and education to help us all grow more environmentally friendly.
Seventh Generation- This one I wanted to say first because it likely comes as a surprise to most of you. First of all, this is a huge company as their products can easily be found sitting on a Walmart shelf or recommended on Amazon
Although they do use post-consumer packaging (recycled plastic), almost completely plant-based products, and claim to source things sustainably, they still have their flaws. They claim to be “natural”. However, they don’t specify a definition for this word. As someone who has previously used their products, they don’t smell very natural to me. They also put plants on their packaging for marketing—to convince you that they are “green.” Their products are not completely biodegradable either. One study found the majority of their products scientifically still have plenty of room to grow when it comes to being eco-friendly. Advertising themselves as green is just a way to get more sales and earn more money. If you want to hear more about Seventh Generation, check out this blog post I found.
Aveeno- Similarly to any other company that green-washes, they do implement eco-friendly practices but tend to look more above and beyond than they really are. They put pretty green plants and flowers on their packaging which yes, is made from recycled and/or recyclable materials, yet they put keywords on their packaging that really aren’t specific. For example, “active naturals” or “gentle micro beads” (tiny plastic pellets). No one is aware of their impact on Earth. So, although they claim to be gentle, their impact on Earth is far from that. Check out an article I found on Aveeno here.
Huggies- I get that you might not even expect a diaper company to be environmentally friendly either way. However, Huggies markets themselves differently. They call themselves green and natural, as many companies try to do. Although it could be possible for Huggies to use post-consumer materials, they have completely convinced consumers that they are special and that buyers are making smart purchases. However, in reality, these diapers still go straight to landfills and then take 450 years to biodegrade! The easy choice is cloth diapers that can be reused indefinitely. It’ll also save you lots of money. Check out this blog post I found on Huggies.
Lush- Not only does this company green-wash their own products, but they have partnered with companies that green-wash other companies through advertisements. They use practices however that include testing products on live naked women. This is known as animal testing and is not ethical at all, let alone the environmental impact. Their products contain harmful preservatives that they do not own up to on their website. If you want to learn more about lush, I enjoyed this post.
Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner- Before I start ranting about this one, I’m just going to ask why not make your own all-purpose house cleaner when there are many simple, easy, natural zero waste ways to do so? I’d be happy to share my cleaning recipe with anyone who would like it. But, back to the company. These products are packaged in a green bottle, which not only is convincing but much harder to recycle. Their title is however very untrue. “All-purpose” definitely appeals to the minimalist in us, but the products do not work on surfaces like suede, leather, unfinished wood, opals or pearls. The word “simple” is also misleading as some of their products contain more than 15 ingredients. On the other hand, my homemade cleaner contains four household (and consumable) ingredients.
Without a doubt, we need to stop buying from these companies and stop being so ignorant when we do. Although they may be a better choice to their competitors, there is always a more environmentally friendly household, cheaper solution that can save the environment on a much larger scale. Check out this video here. See you next week. Bye.