1. How To Uncover
Wen Han Tsai
Photo by Tax Credits (Flickr)
Greenwashing

2. In the 1950s, people believed that smoking
was good for their health.
Photo by Joe Plocki (Flickr)

3. Whitewashing in advertisements existed back
then…
Photo by Paul Townsend (Flickr)

4. Photo by Justin Brown (Flickr)
…and it still exists now.

5. Our society has become increasingly aware
of our impact towards the environment.
Photo by CIFOR(Flickr)

6. Environmental sustainability has become a
global concern.
Photo by Giovanni Orlando (Flickr)

7. Companies have taken note of this –
Photo by Keith Ramsey (Flickr)
and used it for its own financial gains.

8. Through greenwashing, companies claim to
be “eco-friendly” through false advertising.
Photo by Rizon Wonderlane (Flickr)

9. And the problem is – it works.
Photo by Images Money (Flickr)

10. In 2010, 95% of the self-proclaimed “green”
products on the market have committed at
least one greenwashing “sin”.
Photo by Product Information Office (Flickr)

11. The question is – how do we expose these
false claims?
Photo by Adam Bindslev (Flickr)

12. The answer – by recognizing the various
greenwashing “sins”.
Photo by Jim (Flickr)

13. Companies often label a product as “eco-
friendly” based on a small set of attributes,
Photo by Kim Seng (Flickr)
while ignoring the ones that pose an
environmental threat.

14. Some products claim to be eco-friendly,
without providing any accessible evidence.
Photo by Sean Ganann (Flickr)

15. Companies often use vague phrases, such as
“all-natural”.
Photo by Markus Stober (Flickr)

16. An “all-natural” product can still contain
harmful ingredients that grow naturally.
Photo by John Morgan (Flickr)

17. Also, don’t be fooled by a product that has a
third-party certification label – it is often fake.
Photo by James Wang (Flickr)

18. A company may claim that their product is
greener than the ones in its category…
Photo by Jonathan M. Brady (Flickr)

19. …when the category as a whole is
detrimental to the environment.
Photo by Eugenio (Flickr)

20. However, the biggest greenwashing sin that
companies commit – is simply lying.
Photo by Hans Vaupel (Flickr)

21. So it is up to us, the consumers to
differentiate between
Photo by Markus Stober (Flickr)
fact and fiction.

22. Sources
Cohen, Steven. “The Push Behind Corporate Sustainability
Management.” Huffington Post Green. HPMG News, 25 Mar.
2013. Web 20 May 2014.
Pearce, Fred. “The Great Green Swindle.” The Guardian.
Guardian News and Media Limited, 23 Oct. 2008. Web. 20 May
2014.
“The Seven Sins.” The Sins of Greenwashing. UL, n.d. Web. 20 May
2014.
Photo by Kristian Niemi (Flickr)
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License.