It's not exactly news that many companies market themselves as eco-friendly without taking meaningful steps to benefit the planet.
However, some brands make their greenwashing tactics more obvious, as an irate customer discovered.
What happened?
In the subreddit r/Anticonsumption, a shopper posted about a blanket they had purchased from Berkshire Blanket & Home Co. with a label stating it was "made with EcoThread."
That certainly sounded environmentally friendly — until the customer turned the label over.
They discovered that the blanket was made with 100% polyester, a textile derived from petroleum byproducts that releases harmful microplastics into the environment.
"This 'EcoThread' blanket is just 'polyester' plastic," their post's title read. "Not even recycled, just regular plastic."
"Read the company's explanation of [EcoThread], it just uses less water in the dyeing and production process, that's all," one commenter said.
"So, cheaper to manufacture, but if they call it 'eco,' they can charge more for it," another replied.
"I fell for the greenwashing and accidentally bought one years ago and was very annoyed when I realized," a third shared.
Why is greenwashing concerning?
Greenwashing is a dishonest marketing practice that deceives consumers, investors, and the public into believing they're supporting sustainable business practices when, in fact, they're not.
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Definitely 👍 When customers discover they've been misled, it can erode trust and make them skeptical of other companies' claims about environmentally friendly products. It also means consumers might overpay for items that offer no real environmental or health benefits.
Moreover, greenwashing enables companies to continue profiting without taking action to help the planet, hindering progress toward meaningful change.
At the same time, companies risk permanently damaging their reputations or facing legal repercussions by engaging in deceptive advertising.
In 2023, Berkshire was sued by a group of Massachusetts customers who alleged that the company misled them about the environmental impacts of its EcoSoft blankets, according to Bloomberg.
The product was marketed and labeled as "for the planet" and claimed to use "half the water" typically used in manufacturing. However, like EcoThread, the label for the EcoSoft blanket indicated it was made with 100% polyester.
Because the technology to make recycled plastic textiles cost-effective for companies does not yet exist on a commercial scale, the polyester was likely made with virgin plastic, which only adds to the plastic crisis.
Is Berkshire Blanket & Home Co. doing anything about it?
According to court records, the case was dismissed.
However, an appeal was filed in May 2024.
The company hasn't issued any sustainability reports nor made efforts to substantiate its eco-friendly claims.
Its new EcoThread blanket appears to be marketed in a manner similar to the EcoSoft product.
What else is being done about greenwashing?
Consumers are becoming aware of greenwashing tactics employed by major brands like Scotch-Brite and Apple, as well as smaller companies like Berkshire.
As the public becomes more knowledgeable about how to identify greenwashing by examining labels and claims about sustainability before making a purchase, supporting companies that are taking proactive steps to benefit people and the planet will become easier.
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