Based on the environmental study conducted by Terrachoice, Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

Six patterns in greenwashing are as follows:

THE SIN OF HIDDEN TRADEOFFS
Suggests a product is "green" based on a single environmental attribute (the recycled content of paper, for example) or an unreasonably narrow set of attributes (recycled content and chlorine free bleaching) without attention to other important, or perhaps more important, environmental issues (such as energy, global warming, water). Such claims are not usually false, but are used to paint a "greener" picture of the product than a more complete environmental analysis would support.
i.e. Energy-efficient electronics that contain hazardous materials and paper products that promote their recycled content while ignoring their polluting manufacturing processes.

THE SIN OF NO PROOF
Any environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information, or by a reliable third-party certification.
i.e. Shampoos that claim to be organic but have no verifiable certification

THE SIN OF VAGUENESS
Every claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the intended consumer.
i.e. "non toxic". Everything is toxic in sufficient dosage. Water, oxygen, and salt are all potentially hazardous.

THE SIN OF IRRELEVANCE
Making an environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant and unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. It is irrelevant and therefore distracts the consumer from finding a truly greener option.
i.e. Products claiming to be free of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs – contributor to ozone depletion) when they were banned nearly 30 years ago.

THE SIN LESSER OF TWO EVILS
These are "green" claims that may be true within the product category, but that risk distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole.
i.e. Organic cigarettes, green insecticides or herbicides

THE SIN OF FIBBING
Committed by making environmental claims that are simply false.
i.e. Falsely claiming to be certified To read the complete study, please click here.

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