In 2025, sustainability sells. Unfortunately though, not everything that looks green actually is. “Greenwashing” is everywhere, and it’s not just consumers getting tricked. Let’s take a look at how to avoid the greenwashing tricks targeted toward your business.
Customers love an eco-friendly label, and they love eco product packaging (especially when it’s luxurious). It’s no wonder that businesses are rushing to meet the demand by offering sustainable products and services. However, businesses can fall for the lure of sustainability too. So what is greenwashing exactly?
Greenwashing is the act of making false or misleading claims about a product or service’s environmental impact. The goal is to make the company appear more environmentally friendly than it actually is.
For example, a supplier claims their product is “100% biodegradable,” but only if it spends six months in an industrial composting facility. A fancy new “eco-friendly” material turns out to have a carbon footprint bigger than the product it was meant to replace.
As a well-intentioned business owner, you may mistakenly adopt these so-called sustainable products into your operation without realising they aren’t much more than a marketing gimmick. Not only are you selling your customers short on your promises, you’re not helping the planet either.
Marketing Tricks Are Everywhere, So Look Past the Buzzwords
This is usually where mistakes are made! So, you’re going to want to look into labels like “natural,” “sustainable,” and “eco-friendly”, as they’re thrown around so often they’ve practically lost all meaning. Nowadays, it seems like all you have to do is just stick a leafy logo on something, and suddenly it’s saving the planet. Don’t fall for that!
Real sustainability comes with receipts. This might be something like third-party certifications like FSC for wood or Fair Trade for sourcing, which prove that a product has been professionally vetted. If a supplier is dancing around specifics and leaning on vague language, that’s a red flag.
If a Supplier Can’t Back It Up, Just Walk Away
Imagine you’re a business trying to do your bit for the planet and satisfy your customers at the same time, but find out your trusted supplier wasn’t as “green” as they claimed to be. It’s not a good feeling.
Unfortunately, some businesses end up greenwashing unintentionally because their vendor says their processes and materials are sustainable, and no further questions are asked of them. Don’t be afraid to ask for verification on the claims a “sustainable” supplier makes, and walk away if need be.
Overall, transparency is crucial. So, if your business genuinely cares about sustainability, it’s important to ask the right questions. Where are these materials sourced? How are they processed? What happens when they’re thrown away? If you don’t get solid answers it’s time to find a better supplier.
Wholesale purchases can make an even bigger impact. For example, choosing wholesale biodegradable packaging from a reputable supplier means investing in sustainability that holds up; it’s not just slapping an eco-label on a product and calling it a day.
Sustainability is More than Just What It’s Made Of
A product might be made from recycled materials, but if it’s shipped across the world wrapped in layers of plastic, it’s no longer eco-friendly. Nowadays a product’s true environmental impact must factor in all components of the end-to-end process: how it’s made, how it’s transported, and what happens to it when it’s no longer needed.
Final thoughts
Real sustainability isn’t just about picking the “greenest” looking option, it’s about making smarter choices across the entire chain. To improve your business’s footprint, don’t limit your focus solely to materials; ask the right questions and look beyond the marketing gimmicks.
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