Wednesday 16 February 2022

Controlling a Wave of 'Greenwash' ?

It has become very evident that many companies are keen to embellish their 'green' credentials to boost sales. 'Oatley' produces a plant-based 'milk'. They have been banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Agency from repeating some of their sales pitches (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60128075?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA). It appears that 'Oatley's claims were, at worst, a bit excessive and some were likely to mislead their less knowledgeable customers (e.g. in one comparison, Oatley counted eggs and fish as 'dairy products'). Claims by airlines to be offering 'green' flights and petrochemical companies to be major players in energy alternatives, however, make Oatley's 'crimes' pale into insignificance. Things must also be getting very difficult for the Advertising Standards Agency. They now have to evaluate complex 'scientific' claims and evaluate certification from a plethora of 'environmental bodies'. The numbers of 'greenwashing' complaints is currently rocketing.

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