WE ALL KNOW THE EXPRESSIONS ?hogwash,? ?brainwash,? and ?whitewash.? What about ?greenwash?? All these terms imply deception.

With the growing awareness and demand for more environment-friendly products and services, many companies are cashing in on this new and profitable trend. Knowing that notwithstanding the recession, consumers are willing to pay more for brands that meet their needs while protecting the environment, many companies intentionally deceive consumers through greenwashing.

Greenwashing is the term given to any act of misleading consumers about the environmental merits of a company, its products and services. Another definition of greenwashing is to promote a product or service as being good for Mother Earth without any basis in fact.

Examples

Greenwashing examples range from simple strategies to widely publicized and elaborate global campaigns. Some of the culprits may be multinationals or small start-up companies.

One of the simplest forms of greenwashing made by companies is putting their products in green packages and claiming they are biodegradable when they are not.

A very common form of greenwashing is to present expensive, glossy brochures that are printed mostly in green color, with typical catch-phrases like ?sustainable? or ?earth-friendly? etc. with no visible proof of what they are claiming. A product may be packaged in 100 percent recyclable material, but one or more ingredients of the product contained therein are toxic.

There are those companies that illustrate their product amid a green pasture or mountainside to subtly suggest that it is the solution consumers are looking for.

Some environmentally-irresponsible companies sponsor green events, or make big donations to environmental causes even as their operations or products destroy large ecosystems. Or they may outsource their manufacturing to companies abroad where toxic wastes are dumped by the tons.

Products are commonly labeled with buzz words such as green, earth-friendly, organic, low-impact, low-emissions, eco-this, enviro-that and other terms purely for marketing objectives with hardly any basis for their claims.

True, it is hardly possible for a product or service to be 100 percent green and everyone is just starting to apply sustainable principles, but consumers have to watch out for marketing claims that far outweigh green benefits.

In developed countries where ?greenwashing watch groups? are now active, many of the greenwashing sins of companies are brought into the open. This has resulted in companies either taking back what they falsely claimed about their environmental merits, or making efforts to rectify the situation.

We are a long way from many of these countries? efforts in helping curb the abuses of companies that are guilty of greenwashing.

Nobody wants to be deceived and forced to part with their hard-earned money. What?s worse is that if greenwashing is left unchecked, guilty companies will be left raking in all the profits while continuing their unethical and destructive practices.

Environmental concern is now a centerpiece in every institution?s mission statement. Therefore you and I should feel free to ask questions about any particular aspect of their green commitment.

Buying ?green?

When shopping, we have to check out labels for ingredients and components that are toxic and hazardous, their percentage contents, and permissible exposure limits. Some labels describe responses to material spills, leaks or accidental releases. Proper disposal, recycling and reuse are also mentioned in green products. Buyers should beware of VOC or volatile organic compound emission levels in adhesives, appliances, ceiling, flooring, insulation and paint.

Ask specific questions about products. In the absence of a green certification ask simple questions like the source of the materials. Is it natural or recycled? What are its by-products during the manufacturing process? How is the material delivered and installed?

Regarding the effect of the material on the health, does it outgas harmful chemicals? Can you install it without gloves or a mask?

What do we do with the material once we are done with it? Is it recyclable or biodegradable? Can it be reused?

Certifications and trusted seals of approval, if any, should be given by the proper government agency, not by greenwashing collaborators.

Avoiding greenwashing

Countries are setting up green certification programs to give consumers assurance of product claims.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED in the United States rates buildings in the areas of water conservation, energy, materials and indoor air quality. Singapore has adopted the Green Mark for rating green buildings. We have the Philippine Green Building Council and another rating body, the Philippine Green Building Initiative.

Green products are in demand and we should go to trusted retailers. We can ask for product data information from manufacturers in the form of a Material Safety and Data Sheet.

Most important, we should be conscious of a product?s health and environmental impacts from raw materials to finished form. If a retailer cannot answer your question, ask him to find out.

Today it is not enough to be environmentally responsible, we also have to be environmentally intelligent.

For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.