Updated: Jul 18, 2023
Greenwashing is the disinformation of an organisation so that it presents itself in an environmentally responsible public image. Essentially, companies recognise the climate emergency or at least recognise the incredibly large growing mass of people who do and therefore, listening and ensuring their products are eco-friendly sustainable and have a minimal impact. This is a great marketing point, as it allows people to know they share our ethics and will then buy or use their products or services without jeopardising your own ethics and goals. Then here comes Evil Corp. They don’t want to put money in to actually achieve a green, sustainable and eco-friendly business but want to make you believe they are and willing to spend your money with them. This is where greenwashing appears.
Greenwashing can appear in many aspects and it can be hard to tell the signs. Companies will use a number of tricks to paint a product or service as green, eco or ethical from its image, its words used to the “certification” it acclaims to hold. Though there are many ways greenwashing appears, there are still some companies that are good, you just have to do some research or just think about what they are doing and if this meets a green ethic. Some key ways to do this is just by understanding the company and what they deal in, for example it is quite obvious huge fossil fuel companies aren’t really environmentally friendly, yet there can also be quite niche examples. Here are 8 cases of greenwashing you should be aware off:
Volkswagen and Audi used emission cheating software to deceptively advertise diesel vehicle as clean and environmentally friendly, when the were not.
Kauai coffee pods were advertised as 100% compostable with a fine print detailing this had only been certified at “industrial facilities”. The company agreed that this was misleading, as the coffee pods are not certified for backyard compositing.
Ikea noted as a major sustainable corporation have been linked to illegal logging in Ukraine, which is supposedly linked to the wood certification scheme ‘Forest Stewardship Council’ that has been described as greenwashing the timber industry.
Tide purclean detailed their laundry detergent is 100% plant based when it was only 75%, due to this the company agreed to change their packaging to not be so deceptive.
Starbucks released a “straw-less lid” that actually contained more plastic than the old lid and straw combination. Starbucks didn’t even deny this but pressed that it was made from a polypropylene, a commonly-accepted recyclable plastic. However, as only 9% of the world’s plastic is recycled, it is still creating a greater amount of plastic waste.
H&M have used displays and even slogans that are strikingly similar to those used by climate activist, things like “climate crusader”, as well as pictures of eco-activists, which they use as brand ambassadors. This is all to follow the growing sustainability trend. Yet they don’t really practice what they preach. Even their conscious collection, which is marketed as sustainable has higher damaging synthetic material than their main line. Many clothing brands like this also contribute a great amount to textile waste, which often ends in landfill.
BP changed their name to Beyond Petroleum and added solar panels to their gas station, then focused their advertisement on their low-carbon energy products, yet more than 96% of its annual spend is on oil and gas.
Coca-Cola has been ranked the number 1 plastic polluter and with this title they are still currently stating they are not going to abandon their plastic bottles. Yet still advertise that they are sustainable and eco-friendly.
This is just a handful of the greenwashing that goes on every day, there are many more cases of greenwashing, some that are pending, have been settled or dismissed and many more still ongoing. One story I heard detailed a company who produced eco-paint when the only thing eco-friendly about it was that the pot was recyclable. It angers me companies do this, to pray on people good ethics to further line their pockets. It is also annoying that some companies have for years defiled the environment and then switched to eco-friendly alternative or start to and make out like they were green to begin with, again this is misleading and unfair to the companies starting out with the world in mind.
There are many things to look for to find out if a company is guilty of greenwashing and you should be aware of these. Start with a mindset, where you can look at things in the broader sense by questioning a company’s motive, as well as its primary service/product. Also be aware of niche elements of greenwashing for example I am aware how plant based is the future due to often using drastically lest resources and being less harmful to the environment but can actually still contain products that are harmful such as palm oil. Not all palm oil is harmful but it is if done in an unsustainable way. It is also important that greenwashing can appear in all aspects not just when buying something, banks often brand the money you store with them as life changing and help to fund revolutionary (& green) businesses but neglect to mention the life crippling effect they have when invested in fossil fuel conglomerates. Here are some key things to look out for when buying a product or service:
Vague: Often in a companies catchphrase, motto or slogan they will use eco-friendly terminology but that don’t have an actual meaning to how they are green. For example using a broad term like eco-friendly but without noting how.
Imagery: This is used on product labels such as wildlife, trees, nature and the colour green to associate with a green message. Even though this gives the feeling of an eco-friendly products or service this is just a form of green marketing and does not mean anything.
False Certification: Companies use keen catchphrases that make you want to buy their products such as ‘organic, recycled, recyclable, etc. but unfortunately are not. They are just put onto a product or service to get you to buy them. This is often through some self-declaration or certification that has not be vetted. Make sure to check these claims and if it is actually possible for you to achieve e.g. recyclable locally or has to be sent away to the manufacture.
Swindle: Company’s might have a sustainable/eco-friendly product to wave and attract you but then once at their store show numerous other products that don’t meet the environmentally friendly disclaimer of the one that brought you there.
Simply put greenwashing is disgusting and a deceptive act for the rich to get richer with no care for the environment. It is used to trick people who are actually trying to make an active change through conscious decisions with their money, which is plainly upsetting. Therefore, I have tried to shed some light on greenwashing, some cases of it and what to look for, so you do not fall for it. One more part of inspiration that has always stuck with me on greenwashing comes from one of my favourite spoken word artist who gave the following lyrics:
“our revolution is quickly becoming a catchphrase, a colour to paint the walls of our castles, shell corporation the worlds second largest private sector oil company has now marketed itself as a leader in green technology, there new motto ‘we can pass as green if we just put green dye in the gasoline’”
- Watsky
Updated: Jul 18, 2023
I have been getting into my houseplants and to keep them fit and healthy they often require you to use filter water. Additionally, filtered water can often be a much-needed item in your household depending on your local water supply. However, something that has always bothered me about most conventional water filters is the wasteful ‘cartridges’ that constantly need to be changed, often going to landfill and contribute to one of the worst pollutants in our modern day, plastic. Now I know some of these companies may detail some recycle scheme, however, I feel these are often ineffective, as to recycle them you have to go through the onerous task of returning it to the company you brought them from. This is often difficult to do and takes more actions of you, which I believe often leads to the majority of people not doing so. Additionally, you are still going through hundreds of plastic cartridges and the harmful plastic they are encased in.
Therefore, I went to search for an eco-friendly way to filter water. This is where I
found Phox Water, who market themselves as ‘The World’s Most Eco-Friendly Water Filter’. This defiantly peaked my interest and with some research, they defiantly seem a lot better than conventional water filters I could find. So I quickly ordered one with a 12-month supply of the clean refill filter media (they also offer an alkaline filter media, which offer other benefits) and waited. It arrived shortly and I have been using mine for several months, so here is my review of the Phox V2 Glass Water Jug and clean filter media.
Look & Size:
Packaging:
All their packaging seemed to be compact and professional, which was a good initial sign. My order came in a single large box (about the size of two show boxes with some extra depth) with the jug and the 12-month supply. The filter media comes in a very small box with the carbon filter and the media in a vacuum packed tight paper PLA composite that is compostable, keeping it all condensed and easy to store. I assume this can be delivered through your letterbox if you only ordered a 3–month supply. The box has all the instructions on how to insert the filter material and prep the jug for use. This made the installation and replacing of the filter elements simple and easy.
The Glass Water Filter and Jug:
The jug itself was larger than I thought it would be. I have seen a couple of Brita filters in the past and they are quite thin and can often fit in the side of your fridge door. Well for sure the Phox Water Jug certainly cannot do this. It is a large cylindrical shape that can hold about 2.2L. For me this is not so much a problem, as I have not kept it in my fridge and just stored it near my houseplants. However, if you are thinking about having this in the fridge, I hope you have a large amount of free space. For your reference, here are some of the filter dimensions:
- Height: 30.5cm
- Diameter: 14.5cm
(the diameter was taken from the spout to the lip section to take the lid off [widest section])
As for the look, you can see the picture for yourself and make your own judgment, for me it looks fine, nothing spectacular but then again I am not that bothered, as it is not really an item you have on display in the house.
The filter:
Now, I have to say this filter is still not perfect but then I do not think there one that is. The reason it is not perfect is due to the filter media. Unfortunately, even though the media is derived from natural sources it contents are not recyclable or compostable. I believe this is because there aren't components that can be used to ensure the water is properly filtered, which are also compostable or recyclable. Now, this is still a negative and I wish there was a solution, having said this, in order to get filtered water I would much rather only have to replace the filter media than the whole plastic cartridge.
To replace the filter media you take the jug apart and twist out the cartridge and clean the parts. The cartridge has its own lid, which has a carbon filter flattened between it and is where the first point the water runs through. You then fill the top container with the media, which filters the water to the holes at the bottom, which lead into the large 2.2l reservoir jug.
Quality:
Now, I do not have any tests or knowledge to check the water quality before and afterwards. Additionally, I have not had much experience with previous water filters. However, in my opinion the water to me taste cleaner after it has been filtered, which must mean it works, right !? Further to this, I have been using it on my plants for the last few months and they have not shown any negative signed and are continuing to grow.
The Positives:
To summarise the overall positives of the Phox Water system here are my key points:
Its more Eco – You do not have to bin large cartridges with all its additional plastic. They have made a filter system, which you can easily replace the filter media only,
Packaging is small and completely recyclable, reducing your waste impact.
The water tastes cleaner and fresher, so it does its job as a water filter.
The instructions are clear and concise and makes it easy to reuse.
The Negatives:
Now for some negatives. These are some I have noted and others I have seen people mention online but thought as this is a review I should put these into this article. I should note though that I always like to be a bit pessimistic, as I do not know your personal circumstances and if you want to buy this I want to be as open and honest. Although there might be more negatives than positives, this is not to say that the filter is poor. It does what it is meant to do; I just wanted to share everything with you:
The jug is a bit heavy, which is not a problem for me at all but if you think it will be for you, it is something to consider.
It has a wide spout, again this is not much of an issue, as long as you are filling something bigger than it is you shouldn’t have a problem. However, if you are filling anything too small like a typical bottleneck you might get your hands wet.
Some people have noted the filer is a bit slow but again, I would not have thought this is much of an issue. Most people fill theirs up and leave it (often in the fridge) until they want a drink. For me as I mainly use it for my plant it is much the same. I fill it up and let it sit until I want to use it for my plants.
As mentions, the filter media is neither recyclable nor compostable.
In my opinion, considering these negatives do not affect me, these are nit-picky and very small compromises to make for the benefit of reducing your waste. I would much rather use a heavier, wide spout and wait for the filter to do its job than contribute to the plastic pollution destroying this world that our typical filters cause. I will admit it is not perfect, as the media still has to be wasted but it is a step forward and drastically reduced the amount of waste you would typically produce.
My Verdict
Well I have decided to share this on my sustainable blog, so I do believe it works and overall a far more sustainable option than conventional water filters. I find the filter works fine and replacing the filter media simple and easy. Most of all I am happy more and more companies are working towards producing a more sustainable, eco-friendly and less harmful product of everyday items. Having said all this, if there is a more sustainable, eco-friendly option out there I would love to know what it is, as I haven’t been able to find one. I will conclude with, if you need one right now that filters the water to a level of non-eco-friendly water filters does and is better for the environment, why not try Phox Water?
