Going Green or Greenwashing

Noa Coven, Ohio Reporter • July 19, 2026

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Noa Coven is a Junior at Hawken School in Cleveland, Ohio.

When you walk through a grocery store, you’ll likely see a reusable water bottle, paper straws, and sunscreen, advertised as “environmentally friendly”. Labels promising sustainability, recycled materials, or a smaller carbon footprint have become increasingly common. With all these different companies claiming the same thing, you may ask yourself: how many products labeled “eco-friendly” actually live up to their claims? The answer to this question is more.

Going Green Sells

Businesses recognize that many demographics, such as teen consumers, want their purchases to reflect positively on them. Plastiks, a greentech platform, writes that modern shopping is “a statement of personal identity and social responsibility.” Every purchase made sends a message to companies about what shoppers value. Especially amidst a growing concern for our climate, companies are opting to use sustainability as part of a product’s identity, tapping into consumers’ need for social and interpersonal approval.

Capital One Shopping found that, “Consumers spent an estimated $230 billion on sustainably marketed products in 2025.” The size of this market demonstrates how valuable sustainability has become to businesses. According to a survey done in May of 2025 by Trellis and its data partner GlobeScan, “Nearly half of Americans (49 percent) reported purchasing an environmentally friendly product within the previous month…” Now there is an open opportunity that is giving companies a strong financial incentive to market themselves as eco-friendly. Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword. While some brands that market themselves as sustainable may genuinely care for environmental change, others mainly focus on the narrative only because it continues to bring in streams of revenue.

How Companies Market Sustainability

Brands often advertise that their packaging is made from recycled, compostable, or plastic-free materials. These claims work well since packaging is the most eye-catching part of a product. Companies also use carbon-neutral and climate-related claims. They advertise that their operations are powered by renewable energy or that they have reduced or offset their carbon emissions. Product labels, ads, and social media posts frequently include phrases such as Apple’s “carbon neutral” Apple Watch and its use of “100% recycled aluminum” in certain products. Apple appeals to consumers who value sustainability when purchasing. Research has found that sustainability claims can act as mental shortcuts. Shoppers view these products as safe and high quality just from vague eco friendly labels, ads, etc. The psychological influence helps explain why environmental marketing is so effective.

Seeing Through Green Claims

Being environmentally friendly is great, but not all claims are true. Some businesses back up their environmental promises with real action, while others rely on misleading advertisements. For example, the BBC covered Volkswagen’s emissions scandal. The company advertised its diesel cars as environmentally friendly while cheating on emission tests. It’s important to spot false advertising. Simple ways to avoid greenwashing are researching brands; making sure they have credible goals, aren’t being vague about how they achieve those goals, and whether or not the labels they use are misleading.

Backlash Against Greenwashing

Companies have increasingly faced criticism for making misleading environmental claims. Well known brands such as Nike, H&M, and Apple have all been accused of advertising products as environmentally friendly without providing enough evidence to support their claims. One of the clearest examples is the fast fashion industry. Many clothing brands advertise “conscious” or “sustainable” collections to consumers. However, some brands have exaggerated these assertions. The Sustainable Agency wrote, “They looked at clothing from major high-street fashion brands to check the truthfulness of their sustainability claims and found 60% of claims overall were misleading.” Companies care more about marketing products than being honest to their customers.

The Sustainable Agency also wrote, “…H&M were found to be the worst offenders with a shocking 96% of their claims not holding up.” With more than 480 stores across the United States, H&M has earned the trust of millions of shoppers. People often assume that a company that large has proven its environmental claims. However, investigations show that popular brands, like H&M, often twist the truth. Instead of investing in truly sustainable practices, they rely on marketing to convince customers that their product will not harm the environment.

The Difference Between Marketing and A Meaningful Change

Small businesses often lead in genuine sustainability marketing because they are founded with environmental responsibility as a part of their mission. Instead of adopting sustainability later to improve their image, environmental concerns are built into small businesses from the beginning. For teen entrepreneur Naomi Rago, sustainability is more than a marketing strategy. Rago makes eco-friendly jewelry boxes using genuine environmentally conscious materials. During an interview, she explained that the eco-friendly label accurately describes her product, and it outlines the sustainable materials and practices used to make each jewelry box unlike brands that are not trustworthy. She added that “many consumers would rather purchase something that is better for the environment, as it’s a trend nowadays.” While the label also helps attract environmentally conscious consumers, her goal is to communicate the product’s genuine environmental benefits. Many shoppers are looking for products that align with their environmental beliefs. However, Rago explained that this growing demand also creates opportunities for larger / powerful companies to take advantage of consumers through false claims. “It is astonishing that one would even market a product as eco-friendly when they’re not using eco-friendly materials,” Rago said. She believes businesses need to be able to support their claims in order for them to market themselves as green.

For small businesses like Rago’s that invest in genuine sustainability, slapping a misleading environmental claim on a product from a large company undermines their efforts by making it harder for consumers to distinguish authentic products from deceptive ones. At the same time, falsely marketed products continue to contribute to unnecessary waste and pollution, violating the very principles the company’s buyers attempt to uphold. Sustainability should be proven through a company’s actions, not just its marketing.

Going Beyond the Label

How can consumers tell whether a product is truly environmentally friendly? Consumers can evaluate by looking beyond eye catching labels and asking whether a company’s actions match its promises. For example, consumers can look for third party certifications. These include FSC, Fair Trade, or B Corporation. These organizations independently verify that companies meet specific environmental standards. Consumers can do their own research by checking where materials come from, and looking at a company’s website to see evidence that supports its environmental claims. When businesses are expected to support their environmental claims with real evidence, consumers can make genuine choices. The future of sustainable shopping depends on informed consumers who expect proof, not claims. By looking beyond labels, consumers have the power to reward real effort to sustainability.