DESIGN 131_Jolma_Final Creative Project

GREEN WASHING Designed by: Missy Jolma

What is g���n washing� Green washing is defined as "the practice of making brands appear more sustainable than they really are." They do this by making their packaging look recycled or simply putting words like 'natural' on the packaging.

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While this may not be a direct example of green washing, this product uses phrases such as "certified ingredients", and "cruelty free". When buying products with such claims make sure to double check the ingredients.

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Wo�ds/ Ph�as�s to loo� out fo� "farm fresh"

"natural"

"no harmful chemicals" "all natural ingredients" "make from 100%..." "sustainable" "clean" "eco-friendly"

"Slap a green label on something to make it appear more sustainable or healthy (Akepa, 2026)."

How can g���n washing b� ha�mful�

Green washing can be harmful to not only the consumers but it also can negatively impact the environment .

Green washing "divert(s) attention and resources from genuinely sustainable initiatives (Vereb, 2026)." And thus prevents consumers from supporting truely eco-friendly products.

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This is an example of h o w a c o m p a ny m i gh t attract your attention.

Us i n g g re e n p a c k a g i n g a n d / o r re a l l y s i m p l e a n d n e a t p a c k a g i n g.

Re m e m b e r i t i s ve r y impor tant to know w h a t y o u a re b u y i n g.

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Exampl� of g���n washing doing mo�� bad than good H&M clothing brand In 2021, Changing Markets Foundation found that H&M had insincere sustainable fashion claims. They were putting "100% organic cotton" on green tags with "see label for the products full fiber content" and when you looked at the label, organic cotton was not even included in the product (Akepa, 2026).

"BUY LESS. CHOOSE WELL. MAKE IT LAST(Akepa, 2026)."

GREEN WASHING

S O U RC E S Akepa. (2026, January 12). Greenwashing: 20+ recent stand-out examples.

Akepa. https://thesustainableagency.com/blog/greenwashing-examples/ Moore, J. (n.d.). What is greenwashing and what can you do about it?

WorkforClimate. https://www.workforclimate.org/post/ what-is-greenwashing-and-what-can-you-do-about-it Subramanian, S. H. (2025, July 15). Top 5 greenwashing phrases consumers should stop falling for. Linkedin. Retrieved July 31, 2026, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ top-5-greenwashing-phrases-consumers-should-stop-sruti-sgdzc Vereb, M. (2026, January 16). What is greenwashing? Arbor. https://www.arbor.eco/ blog/the-greenwashers Why is greenwashing bad? The real costs explained. (2026, March 8).

Scienceinsights. https://scienceinsights.org/ why-is-greenwashing-bad-the-real-costs-explained/