Greenwashing is the marketing practice some businesses undertake to represent themselves as a “green” company in order to attract specific demographics and create a unique persona within the marketplace, when in fact, they are not "green" at all.
Is it illegal? Not technically.
Is it immoral? Probably...but, that doesn’t stop companies in industries ranging from travel to baby care to non-profits (and, depending on with whom you speak, a beloved Dr. Seuss character may even be involved also) from developing certain messaging promoting themselves as forward-thinking when the truth is that their internal or external policies prove otherwise.
However, this practice is backfiring on companies, and while some individuals have strong opinions as to the backstory about why greenwashing continues, we choose to ask the question, "how can it be eliminated (or at least minimized)?"
The fact that a term has been invented to describe these types of negative strategies is a very good first step, and helps raise awareness. The second is to give companies credit that are trying to do things the right way, whether it be in a small or large capacity. For example, as an organization that has been certified and commended for being an authentic, environmentally-aware business, a company that chooses to use Tray for their print marketing needs should be able to present themselves as "green" organization for choosing to partner with a reputable firm. By encouraging those that are making any effort, we can help build momentum towards a stronger, long-term solution. And, we are happy to help lead the charge towards scrubbing out greenwashing.
The Tray PML Way is the blog for Tray, experts in the printing, mailing, logistics and promotional products. You can learn more about our capabilities by visiting our website, as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages.
information about the company and its successes, visit www.traypml.com
No comments:
Post a Comment