Tim spent last week at the USGBC California Green Building Conference, where informed and enthusiastic experts shared presentations on California climate codes, adaptive reuse, the future Santa Monica Airport nature preserve, the circular economy, water-saving plumbing fixtures, and much more.

Afterwards, over dinner with long-time Berkeley friends, their 15-year-old daughter Lucy shared a recent school project: a handmade brochure about greenwashing. We are inspired by the creativity, scholarship, clarity, and usefulness of her work. Lucy’s brochure explores how companies can sometimes present themselves as environmentally responsible without taking meaningful steps in practice. She encourages consumers to look deeper and ask better questions.

We left the week inspired by both the conversations within the design community and the refreshingly direct engagement with young voices like Lucy’s. Real sustainability is reflected in what we build, how we live, and the long-term decisions we make for our communities and environment. A sincere salute to Lucy and her classmates. You are the green future of the blue planet.

GREENWASHING

WHAT IS GREENWASHING?
Greenwashing is when a company makes their product seem better for the environment than it actually is.

HOW DO COMPANIES GREENWASH?

• Selective disclosure: Highlighting an environmentally friendly aspect of their product while ignoring other harmful practices.
• Vague terminology: When companies put vague labels on their products like “green” or “organic” which don’t actually mean much/anything.

WHO DOES GREENWASHING AFFECT?

Besides having an obvious negative impact on the Earth, greenwashing also negatively impacts consumers. It tricks people into paying more for products they think are good for the environment, but actually aren’t. Greenwashing can also target specific minorities, such as how mining for the materials used in electric vehicles is largely done on Native American land.

WHO IS GUILTY OF GREENWASHING

• OATLY: Oatly was caught using false advertising to promote their product. They used generalizations about their CO₂ emissions that did not apply to all their products. They were even sued for $9.2 million over greenwashing claims.
• LULULEMON: Lululemon faced greenwashing allegations after their “Be Planet” marketing campaigns. They made claims that their company was taking big measures to help the planet when in reality their emissions increased by 100% since the campaign started.

WHO DO WE SUPPORT INSTEAD?
There are plenty of local, eco-friendly businesses that we should support. Some include:

• The Berkeley Student Food Collective: They provide local and sustainably sourced foods. They investigate all the products they stock to prevent greenwashing.
• Three Trees Oatmilk: Three Trees offers a variety of plant & almond-based milk, all sold in bottles that are made of 100% recycled materials. They were featured at the U.N. climate change conference.

SOURCES:

• The Organic & Non-GMO Report
• Just Food
• BBC
• EWG’s food scores
• Forbes
• Arent Fox Schiff
• Three Trees
• UC Berkeley News

BE SMART CONSUMERS!