Do you know greenwashing? Consumer experience in the EU and the US

It is the year 2024 and companies unbelievably continue to mislead consumers with false green claims in a shady attempt to increase their profits. Greenwashing is everywhere. Even companies that sell the most mundane things - straws, cups, water bottles - are equipped with the best marketing techniques to confuse,  they manipulate and drive consumers into absolute madness. Believe it or not, in the US indeed, people camp outside stores to get a reusable cup …

Consumers often rely on the information companies choose to present when making purchases. And they are overwhelmed by the amount of green advertising in the products. BEUC November study - along with ICRT – in 16 European countries, as well as in the USA, Canada and Oceania, it focused on the perception of ecological claims by consumers. It turns out that on both sides of the Atlantic, consumers are looking for environmental information when making purchasing decisions. However, many understandably have no idea how it works. More than 65 % Europeans and around 40 % Americans report that they know very little about the requirements that companies must comply with in order to use environmental claims.

What most of us don't realize is that the banana we bought in the supermarket labeled as 'carbon neutral' relies on carbon offsets to make that claim and still emits CO ₂ . Such misleading claims encourage consumers to continue making unsustainable purchases that slow down the fight against the climate crisis. (Sandra Lima)