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Greenwashing Awareness

Greenwashing Awareness. Presented by Christian Frederick. Eco-Friendly?. Common Descriptions. “Deceptive Practice” A way suppliers try to “trick” customers Placing a different “spin” on a product (concerning environmental traits) “Insufficient offering of information”. Our Basic Definition.

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Greenwashing Awareness

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  1. Greenwashing Awareness Presented by Christian Frederick

  2. Eco-Friendly?

  3. Common Descriptions • “Deceptive Practice” • A way suppliers try to “trick” customers • Placing a different “spin” on a product (concerning environmental traits) • “Insufficient offering of information”

  4. Our Basic Definition • Greenwashing: • A marketing technique which offers skewed or inaccurate information regarding a product’s sustainability or environmental aspects.

  5. Importance of Awareness • Improves buyers ability to identify valid claims • Increases the number of Environmentally Preferred Products • These “EPPs” hold a higher sustainable/environmental quality

  6. Components of EPPs • Recycled Content • Energy Efficiency • Compostable or Recyclable • Utilize Renewable Resources • Fairly Traded • Relatively Less Toxic

  7. Eco-Labels • Third Party Certifications, Self-Certifications, Standards, Guidelines, etc. • Not always appropriate or valid • Learn to ask or look for: • Validity of the standard • Standard setting process • Verification process

  8. Energy Star Example • Validity: International standard backed by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy • Standard Setting Process: Guidelines and requirements are published for manufactures to follow (not quite self-certification) • Verification: Random audits by EPA to reaffirm label placement (possible manipulation)

  9. Greenwashing Strategies • Vagueness or lack of clarity • Irrelevance or distraction • Statements without any support provided or no data to back it up • Simply lies and inaccurate information

  10. Vagueness

  11. Vagueness • Compressed gas dusters from OfficeMax • 100% Ozone Safe • How so? In what way? What does “ozone safe” mean?

  12. Irrelevance

  13. Irrelevance • HP LaserjetToner Cartridge (OEM#: 05A (CE505A)) • Labeled with “19% Post-Consumer Content” • This recycled attribute is only with consideration of the packaging; the recycled content label is irrelevant with respect to this product

  14. No Proof

  15. Simply Not True • Marcal Brand Facial Tissue • Among other qualities, mentions “NRDC Certified” • One problem: The NRDC does not give out certifications!

  16. Recycled Content • PRE vs. POST • PRE-consumer content is when a manufacturer reuses its own supplies (limits their waste stream) • POST-consumer content is the recycled materials which utilize recycling systems (limits the overuse of resources) • POST-consumer content is BETTER

  17. Importance of Recycled Content • Easiest way for a buyer to identify a “green” product • Easy to see, measurable • The higher the content, the better • Major role in purchasing sustainable office supplies

  18. Research Strategy • Top ten suppliers based on highest amount of products provided to UCSC in FY’11 • Investigated top commodities from these suppliers • Commodities chosen based on largest volume supplied

  19. Research Results • Sustainable products easiest to identify with office supply products • Other items either do not provide enough information or there is yet an efficient life-cycle cost formula to apply • There is room to increase the number of recycled products dramatically

  20. Top 52 Office Supply Products

  21. Set-backs in the Research • Full sustainability profile of products is not clear and complete for every product • Need life-cycle cost formula for better analysis

  22. What’s Next? • Focus our efforts on recycled content • POST-consumer content especially • Improvement is absolutely obtainable • High number of in-house alternatives, we do have options! • Keep an eye out for percentages

  23. Ballpoint Pens • Currently the most purchased pens have no recycled content • Alternative at O.M. with 80% PRE-consumer recycled content and similar pricing • Best option in-house for cheap, economy ballpoint pens

  24. Composition Notebooks • Currently buying generic set with zero recycled content • Alternative has paper with 40% POST-consumer content and covers with 100% POST-consumer content • A couple dollars more expensive, but with life-cycle cost included could be similar cost

  25. Copy Paper • Within top 15 paper products from O.M. there are 5 different copy paper brands we purchased last year • The recycled content of these brands ranges but there is one option which is best • 100% POST content and FSC certified is definitely the best option

  26. Conclusions • Question vague statements and demand proof • Compare products for BEST option • Currently, Office Supplies hold most potential • Offer transparency and clarity • Further improvement in the future

  27. Future References • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) • Office of Acquisition Management and Policy (OAMP) • Greenpeace’s Greenwashing Webpage • TerraChoice and the Seven Signs of Greenwashing • UCSC Green Purchasing Guide

  28. Thank You!

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