Greenwashing

Greenwashing is a complex topic and one that is very much in the public eye. I thought I knew a lot about the topic, but going to write this blog, a whole can of worms have appeared. I won't cover every aspect of greenwashing, I don't think any one blog post could sum it up. But, hopefully this will wet your appetite and create some awareness.

Why is it such a hot topic for corporations and the news? Well unless you have been living under a rock or on a desert island you must have seen the planet is heating up; we are using the planets resources quicker than we can replenish them; we are destroying animals habitats and terribly we have known for a long while and haven't done very much about it.

Consumers are more aware than ever about the facts and with encouragement from those with a public platform, like our national treasure David Attenborough, people are deciding to personally do something about it and are making lifestyle changes and voting with their wallets. Corporations have cottoned on that there are big bucks to be made. A 2015 Nielsen poll showed that 66% of global consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products. Among millenials, that number jumps to 72%. These corporations want their cut, but are they actually being more sustainable or is it a whole load of greenwashing? 

Now don't get me wrong there are a lot of companies that have emerged and are sustainable, others have changed their ways or they are legitimately trying to change. However, there are some companies that claim to have changed more than they have, or are claiming something that just isn't true. 

There are some rules and regulations surrounding marketing and product claims. One example is the alcohol sector;  in alcohol marketing you can only claim your drink is ‘low in alcohol’ if it contains between 0.5% and 1.2% alcohol by volume. There is a specific criteria to meet to be able to use that as a marketing ploy. However, there are no regulations surrounding the use of sustainable terms. 

You might think, well if its making companies consider their environmental impact, and making them be more environmentally friendly even by a % then where is the harm? Surely that's great for the planet? Yes it is positive, but there is a darker side to the story. 

One example is a famous fast food chain changed from plastic straws to paper straws, amazing right? They were committing to source 100% of their packaging from renewable, recycled, or certified sources by 2025 and it was praised by former Environment Secretary Michael Gove. But, no it wasn't actually that amazing. Yes on the surface they were paper, and they were recyclable but it later emerged that they had reinforced the straw, meaning it was now not able to be recycled and they told consumers to put the straw in the regular bin. The company stated more investment was needed to be made in the UK's recycling infrastructure for them to be recycled. Today they are now recyclable, but this shows that just because on the surface it looks good for the environment, doesn't mean it really is. So this was a little bit of corporate greenwashing.

Another example of greenwashing is companies encouraging you to buy items to 'replace' other items. Your product may have been manufactured in a sustainable way, but we should be encouraging individuals to reuse what they have or ensure they can get the true life cycle out of their existing product. Throwing away plastic tupperware to replace it with bamboo tupperware is not eco, or sustainable, its greenwashing. Also bamboo isn't always eco, it is fast growing, but when used for clothing, sometimes chemicals and pesticides are used, so you need to do your research. Ask yourself is it really organic? is it done in a sustainable way? because otherwise it could be a pollutant. 

Labelling something as vegan e.g. faux fur sounds great as no animals were harmed during the making of this product. But some of the synthetics used instead are very damaging to the environment and in turn the animals we share the planet with. You need to read behind the label to understand if it is truly vegan and eco conscious. 

Greenwashing can also refer to making items in an unethical way, not paying individuals a fair wage, or allowing them to have good working conditions.

Confusing right?! so how do you know if they are being legitimate? How do you know they are really sustainable or eco?

How do we navigate these confusing terms and marketing ploys? Well its using your time to research the company, look behind the marketing campaign and their aesthetics. Look for the facts, percentages, aims, goals of the company. How much of the product was made from recycled material? Where was that material sourced from? How was that material sourced? Who made that item? Where did they make it? How can I dispose of the product? What happens when I do? Will it biodegrade? If it can does it say how long it will take? Can it be reused? 

Don't worry there are websites out there that rate companies and their products on their sustainability. Saving you the time and the energy of doing it for yourself. ‘Good On You’ App is one such website (not affiliated or associated in anyway). It does take time and it’s ok not to be 100% there with your own eco credentials, what matters is that everyone does small things, as that will truly make a big difference. 

So what about me and Memor? 

I have to be honest metals being mined and used for jewellery isn't environmentally friendly. There is a lot of processing involved in making silver, gold and platinum suitable to be used in the jewellery industry. Other metals have to be extracted to make the metal pure, there will be carbon emissions and left over chemicals which are potentially harmful to the environment. Knowing this it is important that if we continue to buy and have jewellery that we look for ways to do it with the least amount of impact. 

I am striving to use 100% recycled silver, this is post-consumer recycled metals which are made of second generation recycled content and are audited to show this, usually coming from the medical sector, old jewellery and from electrical equipment. I am not 100% there yet, I haven't been able to source necklace chains in recycled silver, cufflink backs or butterfly backs. I hope I will be able to one day, but I don't know when that will be. I do list on all items anything that isn't recycled to be transparent. I can't say how the silver was originally mined, but as its already been done and used once, I feel it is better to maintain its use than cause more harm from mining more. I also use recycled gold or fairtrade gold when doing commissions, through consultation you can choose which you'd prefer. To note as well all metals are recyclable, so if you have a piece of jewellery you have fallen out of love with, sell it on or have it made into something that you love. 

Currently I source my gemstones through a fully audited company, but they are newly mined or man made, e.g. cubic zirconias. This is a topic I am currently looking into, there is a lot of conversation around whether man made stones are worse for the planet due to the resources needed to create them and the large carbon footprint this creates. There is also a lot of information about unfairly mined stones that damage the environment and done in an unethical way. This isn't something I will change over night but it is something I am looking to make changes to in 2021. 

I use recyclable and biodegradable packaging, sourced from the Tiny Box Company, Print By Betty and stickylabels.com. I also reuse some packaging like bubble wrap to expand the life span of the material, as sometimes it comes with orders I have placed. I work from home and use an electricity provider that only supply from renewable energy. I also use LED light bulbs throughout to help save energy.

On a personal level, I am a meat eater, but I have reduced my consumption and have veggie meals days at least 4 times a week. I do travel a lot which is not good for the environment, but I don't think thats something I will change in a while. I do try to buy unpackaged food, but I will be going further and try to buy only local seasonal foods. I don't really buy clothes too often, but I am committed to buying things of quality, that I love and will truly love. I am sure I could go on, but hopefully this has given you an idea of who you might be shopping with. 

I don't believe any company or individual can be 100% eco or sustainable, which ever term you want to use. Any process will have an impact on our planet and generate some sort of carbon footprint. But, as long as we are striving to achieve some sustainability across the board for our products, companies, people and consumers then we can make a difference.

It takes a lot of people taking small actions to create a huge change. We are in it together.