How to avoid greenwashing in your product copy

It's no surprise that outdoor-loving consumers usually care about the environment, and if you as a brand can show that you're making environmentally-friendly choices, well, your customers will be pretty happy too. But when you're marketing your products online, how do you show that your products are planet-friendly without getting the green-washing finger waggled at you?

But, first...

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing is when brands use false or unfair claims to tap into consumers' desires to buy products that are better for the environment. It's all about how your brand communicates the environmental impact of your products or services and operations.

Greenwashing isn't just about words, it's also about the images, logos and even the colours you use when marketing your products. Greenwashing is when brands use all or any of these aspects of communication to make their products seem more planet-friendly than they really are.

What about FOG?

Fear of Greenwashing (let's call it FOG) is when brands who genuinely care about reducing their impact on the environment (sound like you?) keep quiet and don't share information with consumers because of overwhelm and fear of getting it wrong.

Because the thing is, once you start digging into global warming and carbon emissions, you become painfully aware of your shortcomings and it can feel easier to carry on trying to improve without making a song and dance about it. No genuine environment-loving brand wants to be accused of greenwashing when they're just trying to fathom their way through the minefield of greenhouse gases and emission scopes, all while trying to find the key to high performance DWRs that don't damage the planet.

But communication is important. Not just for your consumers, but for the outdoor industry and on a wider scale too. The more we talk about tackling climate change, the more conversations we have, the more chance we have of making change, big and small. And this all adds up.

Anyways, mini pep talk over. You're here for some practical tips on how to avoid greenwashing, right? Let's go.

Practical tips for avoiding greenwashing when marketing outdoor apparel and gear

• Avoid general and vague terms like 'eco-friendly' and 'sustainable'. (Go and update your TOV guidelines now.) Instead, provide specific details about the eco-credentials of your products.
• Provide clear links to where readers can get more detail. You don’t have a lot of space in most product copy, so if you’re mentioning anything in relation to a product’s impact, provide a super clear link to more information - links to another page on your website or a pop-up with more detail is ideal.
• Same for any logos you use. don’t just plonk a Bluesign logo on there - add a link with info about what it means.
• Don’t make claims about things that are standard. With the EU phasing out the use of PFAs, it’ll soon be obsolete, and misleading, to use phrases like ‘PFC-free’ in your marketing.
• Be clear about comparisons. Don’t just whack a ‘50% more recycled’ sticker on there. Be super clear and transparent about comparisons. They are a great way to show small steps in the right direction, especially if you’re comparing to previous designs to show improvements you’ve made. But make sure people can see exactly what you mean. (And not in teeny tiny small print hidden somewhere.)
• On the recycling note, be transparent about the value of using recycled materials, talk about where the materials have come from and what would have happened to them otherwise. For example...taking PET out of a circular economy of plastic bottle recycling to make a jacket that is not recyclable is not as virtuous as it sounds. But if your product is genuinely recycling or upcycling resources in a positive way, share that story.
• Talk about your product afterlife. Lots of brands are using durability as a selling point, which is great, we want our gear and clothing to last. But what about repairs, patches, spare parts? And how recyclable is the product when it does eventually conk out? And on a final note,
• Don’t just cherry pick the good stuff.Be honest about imperfections. Don’t just share the positives, share what you’ve identified as not being perfect. Being honest and vulnerable builds trust.

The bigger picture

Look at the big picture of your marketing and messaging as well as your environmental impact. It's not just about the products you make, but how also you're designing them, how you're operating, where you're sourcing materials, how you're supporting employees to have a more planet-friendly lifestyle. Be consistent. Be clear and honest. And share your story.

For more guidance about avoiding greenwashing, I recommend checking out the Green Claims Code.

If you'd like help with finding the words to share your sustainability journey, drop me a line.

Was this useful? I'd love to hear if this has helped or inspired you. Let me know.

Fancy more tips for writing product copy for outdoor brands? I think you'll like this.