What is Greenwashing?

With sustainability also comes greenwashing.

“Greenwashing is a general term used to describe the presentation of information that implies an environmentally responsible action or product that is vague, not ver-ifiable, irrelevant, or inaccurate….

…Building professionals cannot accept information pre-sented without verification and further investigation. It is critical to know the whole story behind a material or product.

These are just two examples of partial information greenwashing:

• A company advertises that it is using renewable energy sources. This claim sounds very progressive and environmentally friendly, except the company is only using renewable energy for 10 percent of its energy requirements. Indeed, 10 percent is better than not using any renewable sources, but the statement is deceptively crafted. This deception is a form of greenwashing.

• A fruit tree orchard advertises the ecological benefits of trees as carbon sinks. The company does not advertise its use of harmful pesticides to keep the fruit on the trees damage free. This is greenwashing through omission.”

Kilmer, Rosemary. Qpractice NCIDQ Exam Guide, 3rd Edition ePDF for QPractice. Wiley Custom Select, 2022. VitalBook file. Pg. 601

Interior design and those who are designers is apart of the building professionals that cannot accept information without verification. There are also certifications that can be obtained so we can have more knowledge on hand when coming across companies that may be participating in greenwashing. That said however; many materials should be viewed holistically because it depends on the circumstance how sustainable a product truly is. Things such as bamboo flooring from China. The flooring may be sustainable to the way it is shipped to other countries is not.

Another thing that should also be considered is the life-cycle of a product, and how it will either decompose or help create a new product. Along with how all of the materials in a project interact with each other. There will always be tradeoffs, to a project I.e. how sustainable a project can be due to budget, or how far they were shipped are two examples. This is where having a strategy for specific goals and being clear on what is needed is important.

For now with where we are with technology and how we function daily, it all boils down to what you can do. Some people have medical conditions and need to use more electricity than another person who may not have the budget they wished they could to have a completely sustainable project. But by doing what you can where you are now is still something. This is something I have to remind myself also because I’m still striving to help bring people joy and peace in life through helping through healthy and sustainable design.

How do you feel your project could be sustainable? What are things you can do now, or are looking to do in the near future that can contribute to either healthy or sustainable design? Are you looking for help to create a road map? Let me know below!

For detailed information, visit the Web sites www.usgbc.org and www.cagbc.org.