greenwashing

Word relationships

• whitewashing: The original term for glossing over or covering up vices or scandals.
• misleading marketing: A broader term for any deceptive advertising.

• transparency: The quality of being open and honest.
• authenticity: The quality of being genuine or true.

Commonly confused with

• sustainability: Sustainability is the goal; greenwashing is the fake version of that goal used for PR.

Word family

• greenwash (verb): To mislead consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company.

Collocations

• accused of greenwashing
• corporate greenwashing
• prevent greenwashing
• greenwashing tactics

Example sentences

• "Greenwashing is the practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product." The FTC provides guidelines to prevent deceptive environmental marketing.
• "Activists accused the airline of greenwashing after it claimed its flights were 'carbon neutral' without providing evidence." The oil company's ad campaign about 'clean energy' was widely criticized.

Memory hook

Think of 'Green-Washing' like 'White-Washing' a dirty fence. You're just painting a thin layer of 'green' over a dirty corporate practice. Fake green paint.

When not to use

Don't use this for a company that is actually trying to be green but makes a small mistake; save it for deceptive marketing.

Fun facts

• The term 'blue-washing' is now used to describe companies that deceptively claim to follow the UN Global Compact's social principles.

Related words

transparency, disclosure, impact

Explore more words

greenwash, greenhushing, misleading, deceptive, astroturfing, disinformation

Also appears in

• Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Eco-Tourism & Travel