Green Innovation or Greenwashing? Which Companies Are Really Making a Difference?

Sustainability is big business! It seems as though companies of all shapes and sizes are tripping over themselves trying to show conscientious consumers that they have a strong ethical focus and their sights set on sustainability. But how much of this is investment in green innovation, and how much of it is marketing bluster. In recent years we’ve seen a number of brands accused of greenwashing; of slapping on a little ecologically aware window dressing in order to increase their brand appeal in the eyes of environmentally-minded consumers. They’re aware that many consumers, especially the millennials and Generation Z, are willing to pay more for sustainable products.

Image by Geralt via Pixabay

But which are the companies putting the effort in, and which are simply making a few strategic changes to their packaging? Which are leveraging or inventing new green tech, and which are the ones spewing meaningless marketing bluster?

Let’s take a closer look at the green efforts of a few companies of different shapes and sizes…

Honda

Big automotive brands are locked in something of a green arms race as they race to get new, more sustainable vehicles on the market. While Tesla continue to be the gold standard for sustainable motoring, Honda are showing remarkable commitment to green innovation at present. They have invested heavily in the production of fuel-efficient vehicles with a strong focus on developing a vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell- the Honda Clarity. Over the past few years, we’ve seen many vehicle manufacturers caught out cheating when it comes to the emissions of their “cleaner” diesel cars. So it’s nice to see a manufacturer doing things right.

H&M

European fashion outlet H&M has come under fire from critics who accused the brand of greenwashing after pairing with Swedish company Re:newcell to create more sustainable upcycled clothes from a circulose / viscose blend. Anti fast fashion campaigner Venetia La Manna has been very critical of the move, questioning the validity of such a prolific name in fast fashion taking such a step. “… it’s a real shame to hear that Circulose chose to partner with H&M on such an exciting, circular and innovative yarn… the fast fashion model will never reach that all important net zero target that we need to be aiming for,” she told The Independent newspaper in February this year.

Clean Air / One Tree Planted

It’s not just big multinational businesses that are forming promising partnerships in the name of sustainability. Texas-based eco-friendly air filter manufacturer Clean Air have partnered with One Tree Planted to support their mission by funnelling a portion of the money made from subscriptions to the generation of clean air by planting new trees. One Tree Planted have already planted over 15 million trees in just  6 years and are working hard to restore biodiversity to our arboreal life. It might not be a huge tech innovation, but it’s a clever example of branding synergy that could actually do some real good.

EcoLogic Studio

You may not have heard of Ecologic studio, but this British startup has developed an extremely clever form of cladding for buildings called Photosynthetica. The algae in these panels  captures carbon dioxide and other airborne pollutants and release oxygen back into the exterior or interior. Two square meters of these panels can potentially absorb as much CO2 as a mature tree.

McDonald’s 

Finally, it has to be said that McDonald’s are responsible for some pretty impressive green innovations like reverse engineering used cooking oil into biodiesel for their delivery trucks and reducing their energy use by 25% thanks to more energy efficient devices. However, as long as their business model will be based on cattle farming, it’s hard to see the fast food giant of anything short of greenwashing since animal agriculture is one of the world’s leading causes of climate change.

Call us when they release the McVegan!

The post Green Innovation or Greenwashing? Which Companies Are Really Making a Difference? first appeared on Green Tech Gazette.