What the hell is Greenwashing?! Are you Greenwashing Yourself?

Dear Consumers,
Yes, I'm talking to all of you. We are all consumers making up a consumption society, whether or not you choose to identify as so ( this serves for another discussion at a later date!). Have you recently reused the same plastic water bottle that you bought to mix your vodka and orange juice before the club last night? Or, maybe you just bought a Prius. Or, maybe you started buying products with "green" packaging all over them.

Defined by Google:
Greenwashing (green whitewash) is the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly, such as by presenting cost cuts as reductions in use of resources. It is a deceptive 
use of green PR or green marketing

Friends, you are also Greenwashing yourselves by saying or believing you are a smarter consumer when in fact you are only doing what you perceive others do. Not understanding the process and importance or looking for real ways to help the earth is the only place Greenwashing will get you.

But still, congrats for the effort, sort of...

The earth appreciates the little things we all do for it. However, it's not time to pat yourself on the back and call it a day! The consumer perception of 'changing small parts of my life and buying products that look green makes a difference' is a terrible misconception.

This mindset is exactly what will throw us into a period of more deceptive advertising practices because it's easy for big business to slap a  "green" green label on a product and sell millions of it! Product purchases by consumers just because there's tree, a leaf or a recycling symbol is a rapidly growing byproduct of the situation. FYI people, you need to read labels, it's what they are there for!

Thankfully, the internet is here. Think of all that information, right at our fingertips. Amazing, right? So before you go and congratulate yourself on saving the world by using your disposable water bottle you purchased yesterday more than once, look into the product's company features and content. Research is made simple with Google, blogs, and social sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. If you ask questions, you will get answers. So get curious and start questioning the little things you do in life. We are all connected like never before, use it to your advantage! Find out what you're really buying and consuming.

Here are some videos that reinforce the point I am making and are great for show & tell!

1.) How to Identify Eco-Friendly Products:

2.) Greenwashing: False Claims on Recycling, Environmental Sustainability and Eco Friendly Products

3.)The History of Bottled Water:

PLEASE PASS AROUND THIS POST!

Comments and questions are appreciated :-)