by Emma Sjostrom
Originally printed May 3, 2023
I see it almost everywhere – for nearly everything I buy, there’s a product that is packaged in some sort of brown paper or clear plastic container, with green-colored words saying something like “eco-friendly” or “all natural.” While the thought that more people are willing to buy sustainable-minded products is nice, a majority of these claims are mostly bogus. I see them as nothing more than huge, carbon-producing and trash-making companies looking to capitalize on growing consumer demand with fancy buzzwords and aesthetically pleasing packaging.
Sadly, a majority of these claims of environmental responsibility are nothing more than greenwashing; companies trying to appeal to consumers without actually providing any proof of sustainability, or doing the complete opposite of what they claim to value.
A few years ago, H&M launched their “Conscious Collection,” making claims that their new line of clothes offers recycled materials, are less resource intensive and are ethically made. Not only were these claims vague and had given little actual evidence, I find it difficult to believe that a huge company in the fast fashion industry – one of the largest polluting industries – would actually be doing all that good for the environment. Even if the line was found to be truly sustainable, what about all the rest of H&M’s clothing that they produce? It’s no surprise to me that the company has seen numerous lawsuits over the years about their claims.
On top of being fed unsubstantiated promises, I’m simply tired of the notion that it is all on us individuals to achieve sustainability. It’s like we can never escape the endless lecturing for us people to calculate our carbon footprint and to do our part to save the planet. Meanwhile giant companies get to endlessly extract and pollute.
Some companies even go so far as to make apps to help people track their C02 emissions. Back in 2020, Launchpad announced their new VYVE app, which allows people to directly calculate how much emissions their travels create. Who is Launchpad you may ask? It’s a subsidiary of none other than BP, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies.
BP, like other major oil companies, have launched campaigns claiming to focus on sustainability, some even going as far as to say that they’re working towards a “low carbon future.” These campaigns essentially make appealing claims while ignoring the elephant in the room. These companies promote their false narrative of sustainability, meanwhile continuing to profit off mass resource extraction that is the largest contributor to ecological destruction.
On top of simply spreading misleading information about themselves, these companies are doing even more harm to people and the environment. While working to make themselves look good to an increasing amount of people concerned about the environment, they are continuing their irresponsible practices. It’s simply exhausting.
