Greenwashing
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- _salisae_
Have you found yourself to be an inadvertent part of it? I haven't yet and would like to avoid it.
- ThePublics0
Any time you're working for a profit-motivated corporation where the word "green" is involved, it's a safe bet that you're greenwashing. That said, been involved plenty, but I personally don't take "green" consumerism (nor politics) seriously, so I don't really consider it to be "greenwashing" - but just using the gimmick of the decade.
- that is to say, it's only "greenwashing" if you buy into "green" to begin with.ThePublics
- _salisae_0
Curious what you mean when you say you don't take green consumerism nor politics seriously. If the agency you were working with took on a rebrand campaign for BP would you have any problem with it?
- ThePublics0
Well, what can be and can't be green is what I mean. What's the threshold between pragmatism, reality and bullshit?
Generally I find that when someone markets something as "green" it's either complete bullshit, or marginally better than what's already on the market. Very few products go far enough to warrant claims of environmental neutrality, so 90% of the time "green" a joke. I guess what I'm getting at is that the term "green" is already so corrupt that "greenwashing" is just an industry standard now, like "cool" or "new".
Depends on the context of the agency I suppose, what I had worked on previously, etc - where my ethical barometer is at. If I worked at a standard corporate agency, no I wouldn't have a problem with it, as it would be hypocritical. Is BP any worse than your average auto manufacturer in the big scheme of things? Not really.
- Wow. I was kind of getting ready to rail against you above, but .. you're totally right. 'Green companies' just are.detritus
- .. no explicit need to market themselves as such.detritus
- I suppose there's a midpoint, where some co.s can market themselves as green educators to lazy consumers like me.detritus
- eg those ostensibly green cleaning product cmpanies.. 'ecover' and such. Could just forego them and use vinegar, etc.detritus
- I'm wittering.detritus
- Guess it all hinges on that balance between 'necessary' and overt consumption forms.detritus
- bjladams0
i worked on a project recently for some govt protected wetlands... all the signage had to be made on bio-degradible plastics and soy inks due to section something-or-other. so, now they need to be remade ever 6 months or so as the signs deteriorate - hire a boom-truck, and drive it out into the marsh to replace these things to save on natural resources... on top of that, the only place that makes the sub-straights is located in china, so they're shipped around the world. all in the name of "green"
- _salisae_0
Thank you for your input.
Nairn,
In a similar vein: the goldmansachs site that we both felt good about bc of the attn paid to women in business is simply a strong rebrand effort bc of their numerous lawsuits around sexual inequality in their workplace. On the one hand I'm glad that they're changing their tune and perhaps setting a new standard. On the other I wonder if it's anything more than a thin facade.
- monospaced0
Very involved in this. We all want to be part of something good, but it all feels somewhat played and cliche after awhile after everyone gets their hands on the campaign.