Green Washing - are you Unknowingly Part of the Problem?
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How can you be sure that what you are buying is really as good as they say? Do you want to be tarred by the same brush by unknowingly passing on a supplier's claim that could in fact be false or misleading?
Here are some pointers to look out for and also to stop you getting egg on your face. Firstly don't fall for companies that develop their own environmental banner, logo or program for their products or services. This is a common and cheap way of giving the impression their products are green, but in many cases there is no international or local approval to support the claims made by the little green logo they have invented. Many on-sellers of products can spout the green benefits of their products, but they lack the evidence from the manufacturer to back it up.
This is especially the case with imported products where on-sellers simply believe anything their overseas supplier tells them. If the logo or program they are claiming is not something you have seen before then ask for more information or ask to see their manufacturers' accreditation to see if what they are claiming is in fact relevant to the New Zealand market. Many third world countries are still getting away with very suspect labelling which is simply taken as a given when brought into country.
Suppliers and manufacturers alike are still ignorant of the facts or are intentionally misleading you with regards to their environmental packaging claims. Especially look out for packaging that claims to be biodegradable like bottles or rubbish bags or anything that is inorganic. An apple is biodegradable but plastic made from petroleum isn't. There is a general lack of knowledge among suppliers about what should be labelled as biodegradable, degradable, oxo-degradable or compostable. Even within these terms there are claims being made which stretch the boundaries of truth. Toby Whyte from Health Pak says "we manufacture a large number of products that have oxo-degradable packaging, but continually come up against overseas products that have ridiculous claims due to the blind faith of importers and a general lack of understanding". The Commerce Commission is currently looking into labeling like this, but if you look around there are still many examples of companies advertising their packaging as biodegradable when it isn't. It is advisable to learn about these terms as it won't take long to Google, and once you have an understanding you will be amazed at what you took as gospel beforehand.
This product or packaging is recyclable? Anything in the world is recyclable from toilet rolls to nuclear waste, but that doesn't mean in New Zealand it's ever going to be recycled. Many products or packaging that state they are recyclable are no more environmental than the next. In fact as a rule of thumb anything that's not paper based or a plastic bottle is unlikely to ever be recycled in New Zealand. There are some exceptions to this, but essentially everything else will go straight to landfill. Packaging, like cosmetic tubes or wrappers, often has a recyclable logo on it but there is simply nowhere around to recycle it. "We have actually made a conscious choice to not put the recycle logo on our cosmetic tubes as it is simply false advertising" says Toby. If your supplier is promoting their packaging or product as recyclable then ask them where you can recycle it, and if they can't then pressure them to remove the labelling.
By ignoring these issues and others you are knowingly using products that simply aren't green and you may be in breach of the Fair Trading Act. It is important to question suppliers more about their products and to steer clear of those that don't seem to know what they are selling or can't back up what they preach. Remember by using these products you are no better than those selling them and blind ignorance is no longer going to be a justifiable defence. Get learning!
Toby Whyte
Health Pak
