“We all know greenwashing exists”
By Ria Bose
For years now, big corporations have been able to do what they want to do at the expense of everyone around them, especially, the environment. We all know that greenwashing exists and is something that companies do when they want to show their consumers that they are very conscious about their green thumb, carbon footprint or water consumption and basically describe themselves to be eco-champions so that people like you and I think we are doing the right thing by choosing their product over others.
But, if you think about it, instead of creating a better solution to eliminate single-use PET bottles or reduce how much water is used to make a T-shirt, or use alternatives materials that exist and are sustainable and reusable , companies put the responsibility on us, the consumers, to recycle products, start saving or make many small inconvenient changes in their lifestyles.
While in fact they still produce plastic bottles, T-shirts, earbuds, diapers or straws in billions, yes billions per year.
Let’s be honest for a minute here, even if we all decide to recycle the product in our homes, there is no way we can compete with companies that produce billions of things that are thrown away every year. These plastic pieces are everywhere, harming our health, our communities, our oceans and our environment.
The harsh reality is that companies need to replace plastic with something sustainable, and alternatives already exist.
Ria Bose, 25, is a teacher who tries to reduce her carbon footprint as much as she can.
“Any change can make a difference”
By Ameya
If a multinational company that sells millions, if not billions of its products, takes even one small step, it makes a difference. In products sold across continents, any change made, any difference initiated is not only physical, but also ideological. And why don’t companies talk about any changes they make to their products that improve the environment, no matter how big or small?
Consumers expect brands to face and respond to issues around climate change and the environment. A company that moves any of its products around the world, no matter how small, makes a mass statement to the world to make a change. If companies decide to use more sustainable materials in their products and packaging, (yes, this logic also applies to your neighborhood kirana store that refuses to sell you things in a plastic bag) that encourage their consumers to recycle, use renewable energy, or try to reduce waste, forget about competitors, even consumers on an individual level are motivated to make a change .
So, any percentage of improvement, 1 percent or 10 percent, will make a difference. The effect only worsens as the years go by. For those who say these changes are too small, this is a good start, and when small changes make a big difference, a start is all we need.
Ameya, 24, is an advertising professional.
From HT Brunch, September 17, 2022
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