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Green packaging or greenwashing?

green package

I’m sure most of you would agree that greenwashing in a real sense is just a practice when more money or time is spent advertising being green rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices. This is often portrayed by changing the name or label of a product, to give the feeling of nature, which, of course, humans are hungry for. American company Terrachoice Environmental Marketing surveyed 1,018 random consumer products, ranging from toothpaste to printers and found numerous evidences of greenwashing. The study found most of the companies guilty in some form or the other.

A Greener Apple? Apple was committed to phasing out the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFR) by the end of 2008. However, it came into view that the ingredients of the latest 3G iPhones include these same chemicals.

Beyond Petroleum: Acknowledging the public demand to move to a post-fossil-fuel economy, BP demonstrated through their ad campaigns that they have switched to wind turbines and solar energy, whereas they still put their 97% of their investment in oil and coal.

General Motors: The company screams of its green efforts. However, what about the gas guzzling Hummers? Its “Gas-Friendly to Gas-Free” ad campaign is a clear eye wash.

Biodegradable packaging may not be as green as it sounds

With the green movement catching pace, companies, trade groups and government organizations are keen to get a piece of the quiche. Whereas this merely means that they further can be recycled, but there is no surety that the consumer will find a handy facility for recycling them. In recent years, there has been substantial growth in environmental awareness in a wide range of industries, including technology, architecture and consumer products.
Major car manufacturers throughout the world are constantly struggling to maintain a competitive edge in the rapidly growing green market. Although it’s a profitable venture for the companies, there is no complete eco-friendly solution currently existing. The manufacturers are left with no choice. They can’t shut their facilities in the name of growing green or lose their consumer base just to save themselves from “green sins.” Hence, manufacturers are forced to take up any one of recycled, recyclable or biodegradable materials or end up with less packaging. None of the above seems to be a viable solution.

Dark side of the green movement

“For every positive action in nature, there is an equal negative reaction” – an appropriate aphorism to describe our so-called green movement. And while the awareness factor surges, adoption rates seem to lag as packaging businesses slowly incorporate sustainable practices into their business strategies. This is an evil not easily recognized, as it is dressed in friendly green garb, and comes with promises of transparency and environmental benefits. The amount of money being spent each year on green products and services is increasing at a rapid pace. The movement is continuing despite the slowdowns caused by the recession. No wonder companies who earlier were least interested are rushing to portray themselves and their products as green just to make a profit.

Via: GreenUpgrader

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