Greenwashing is the new trend to use green marketing and catchwords in order to represent different kinds of products and company's policies as environmentally friendly, even if they're not. The term “greenwashing” expresses the will to “wash with green” something to make the customers think that it's an investment in environment protection.
The phenomenon is growing up, and the world globalized economy makes it a worldwide problem.
Greenwashing has two main consequences: it's an unfair competition against the companies whose behaviour is actually green, and makes the customers sceptical about environmetal campanies.
European Union and some of its members are building different systems to contrast this marketing practic. Norway has forbidden every possible reference to environmental benefits in cars claimes; Great Britain has approved a code (the Green Claims Code) which aim is to certificate some products and a practical guidance addressed to companies who want to avoid to stumble in greenwashing. European Union has worked to develop certifications and label system aiming at a clear use of green claims.
But what about customers? Can they defend themselves? Do they have any power to fight greenwashing? Yes, they do. One of the most useful tool to get information about companies behaviour is definitely internet, where all of us can also find the results of different investigations about advertising campaigns. Customers' choices make the difference.
Sara Zanella
