Transparency is essential for making sustainable choices
... but sadly deceptive environmental marketing, aka Greenwashing, has never been as common as it is today.
Greenwashing is an easy way for companies to ride the wave of a new environmentally conscious market to boost their sales, without making the real investments required to actually transform their operations. But as the market evolves, this tactic won’t stay profitable for long.
So how to stay clear of inadvertently believing or taking part in greenwashing:
Be specific - use percentages and actual timelines over vague descriptions
Source information - use and believe actual data, that is available and understandable
Fair comparisons - e.g. self made certificates are a no-go
No blurring the big picture - use and believe talk about the company’s overall practices / the product’s whole life cycle, rather than a small part that may sound nice but isn't viewed in the right context
Nobody’s perfect (at this stage anyway) - value openness about the true stage of development rather than too-good-to-be-true claims
A clear plan forward - all companies should already have a timeline with credible steps (and some track record), if they're being serious
Don’t fall for “nature themed” branding (pictures, colours etc)
Materialisting is committed to promoting transparency in the building industry by leveling the playing field with comparable, comprehensive, visual representations of each product's environmental data. This allows everyone to clearly see the strength and weaknesses of different products. This can lead to better decision-making and a more sustainable future for the industry.
💚 Now is the high time
to start investing in the availability of high-quality data and the ways to utilize it! In the future that will be the only credible way to show the strengths of your product, or your design.
Commentaires