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Avoiding deceptive environmental and social claims should be a concern to all companies, especially in the apparel and textile industry. We highly recommend watching the documentary to get a grasp of the sheer scale of this dilemma, but to summarise some key points: Greenwashing is no more than a marketing tactic to sell more products at a higher price and it makes it difficult for people to make smart choices. What is bluewashing? Adopting green and socially responsible practices in business is becoming a profitable strategy. Since consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable and ethical products, businesses expect high growth from a favorable image and public support. This type of bluewashing is about companies claiming that they don’t abuse human rights and ethical codes… when actually they do.
In 2004 there were just 1100 companies in the UNGC, but now there are over 8000 companies involved, plus 160 countries… including China, who we know doesn’t follow the rules on forced labour. Companies that are bluewashing make it more difficult for consumers to understand the impacts of their purchasing decisions as they struggle to differentiate between valid and invalid claims. Greenwashing happens when a company conveys false claims or provides misleading information about its products or actions to suggest they are eco-friendly and socially responsible. Brands are giving this promise to customers but aren’t following what they say behind the scenes, leading customers to believe they are doing something good by buying into the brand when they are just taking part in the problem. The term bluewashing, however, might be new to some and focusses more on the labour conditions and human rights within the garment industry rather than environmental issues. It’s also often associated with the blue logo of the United Nations (UN) and more specifically the UN Global Compact. While this non-binding pact aims to make business practices more ethical and sustainable, the UNGC doesn't necessarily recognize or certify that the member companies have fulfilled its Ten Principles.
Find sources: "Bluewashing"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( May 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) According to an Accenture study, 72% of consumers are buying more sustainable products than they were five years ago and more than half are even willing to pay more for them. So it’s no surprise that brands from small independents to the high street are trying to attract customers by calling their products green, eco-conscious or environmentally friendly. As a result, there’s nothing stopping an unethical, rule-breaking company from joining the UNGC and using that accreditation to promote their services/products.
Working with Fairtrade initiatives, showing transparency and sharing stories from their workers, etc. all put socially responsible policies on display. Businesses should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. The best way to avoid bluewash is to investigate and do a bit of research. Separate the companies that are truly making efforts from those that are only pretending to enjoy higher profit margins.As the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, the UN Global Compact has established ten principles focused on promoting socially responsible practices such as the abolishment of child labour, corruption and slavery. More than 12’000 companies are involved and have pledged to abide to high ethical standards respecting human and environmental rights. Researching this trail, I know the streams can extend all the way to the fork, but on our hike in March, the creek was receding pretty heavily. The Streams to the Waterfall These are some businesses and organizations that have been accused of bluewashing in the past or recently. Many businesses are still bluewashing today to appeal to conscious consumers, especially in the fashion industry. The market for ethical and sustainable products is growing rapidly, creating new opportunities for businesses.
Major fashion retailer & Other Stories used to make false production claims, pretending its products were created in Swedish factories under labor protection laws. In reality, they are designed in Sweden but produced in China, Bulgaria, and Bangladesh. As you enter the trailhead the pathway is very dusty and full of loose gravel – the slope, also, immediately goes downhill. Because of this steep elevation drop, the trail can be a little slippery. We found ourselves sliding down the steep pathway even with shoes with good grip.. Berliner, Daniel; Prakash, Aseem (2015). " "Bluewashing" the Firm? Voluntary Regulations, Program Design, and Member Compliance with the United Nations Global Compact". Policy Studies Journal. 43 (1): 115–138. doi: 10.1111/psj.12085. ISSN 1541-0072. The consequences of getting it wrong are seen as bluewash and damaging to reputation. Consumers are very likely to punish companies using bluewash with fewer sales. They claim to reduce their environmental and social impacts when in fact a large proportion of their activities remains detrimental to the planet and its inhabitants.
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As citizens, we have the right to know more about what we’re buying. The best way for brands to take responsibility is to ask them questions and expect more precise information. Bluewashing is deceptive marketing used to make you believe a company is better and more ethical than it is. Primark has been under public scrutiny many times over with child labor scandals. The fast-fashion retailer can offer very low prices because it employs workers from the poorest countries of the world, such as India and Cambodia, and under terrible working conditions. Bluewash also prevents the development of a new sustainable and ethical economy. It slows down sustainability and social responsibility efforts drastically.
A business or organization is bluewashing when it makes misleading claims about the social responsibility of its products or services to position itself in a better light for economic gains and public image.It can sometimes be confusing to make the difference between right and wrong, so go to platforms that do the work for you. For example, Good On You is the world’s leading rating system on ethical and sustainable fashion to assist people in making positive shopping choices through an accessible app. Meanwhile, Fashion Revolution’s Transparency Index highlights information released by top brands about their supply chains, and e-commerce platform Staiy gathers ethical brands that have been assessed against a demanding sustainability evaluation. Ocean bluewashing – claiming their clothes are non-toxic because they’re made from organic cotton, when actually their clothes dye contributes to water pollution, Critics argue that such voluntary initiatives, despite aiming to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, are merely used for economic gains and public relations to improve corporate images.
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