Are firms telling little green lies?

Sustainable Life • Web site takes on ad claims that environmental facts may not back up

By Toby Van Fleet

The Portland Tribune, Jan 29, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (3 Reader comments)

jIM CLARK / TRIBUNE PHOTO

The Greenwashing Index encourages consumers to think about the credibility of companies’ environmental claims.

Kermit the Frog stands in a forest next to a hybrid sports utility vehicle and says, “It’s easy being green.” But the company that makes that SUV fought against upgraded federal fuel-efficiency standards.

A tree branch that looks like a human arm rests approvingly on the shoulder of a young man drinking bottled water. But eight out of 10 disposable water bottles in the U.S. end up in a landfill.

Images of nature and messages of Earth-friendliness seem to be everywhere in advertising these days as companies respond to increased public awareness about climate change and resulting concern for environmental issues.

But two University of Oregon professors are asking consumers to pay closer attention to ads that make claims about the environmental friendliness of companies’ practices or products.

Deborah Morrison, the school’s Chambers distinguished professor of advertising, said that ad agencies across the globe are jumping on the green bandwagon.

Morrison, working with associate professor Kim Sheenan, recently helped Austin, Texas-based advertising firm EnviroMedia Social Marketing launch a Web site called the Greenwashing Index.

It invites users to post ads making environmental claims and then rate the credibility of the claims on a scale of 1 to 5.

Environmentalists and others use the term greenwashing to describe a company’s efforts to market itself as environmentally friendly when that effort is focused more on the benefits of the marketing than on a commitment to truly sustainable practices.

“This area is a trendy, relatively new field for advertising to feel good about,” Morrison said. “I want advertising professionals to look at this and say, ‘OK, what should we be doing?’ ”

The site is funded solely by the ad agency. About 50 ads have been posted so far.

Labels also take the test

A company can portray itself as tree-hugging whether it’s at the forefront of sustainability or dumping toxic waste into a river near you. And most consumers are too busy to do the research.

“That marketing works now because people want those solutions,” said Jeremiah Baumann, program director for Environment Oregon, a Portland-based nonprofit environmental advocacy organization. “But that’s exactly what creates the opportunity for companies to engage in deceptive marketing.”

In addition to advertising campaigns, product labeling also is getting more scrutiny.

1 | 2 Next Page >>

Facebook	Digg	Del.icio.us
Newsvine	Stumbleupon	Reddit