Sustainability vs greenwashing

Written by: Daniela Arango – CPO at Lignopure

How can we trust the sustainability claims of those products we grab from the shelves? What do all these logos and seals prove? Those are the questions popping up not only in the heads of everyday consumers but also in discussions held by our policymakers and industry leaders.

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing is defined by the World Economic Forum as the promotion of processes or products labeled as “sustainable” or “green” while purposely overlooking their whole impact on climate change or the Sustainable Development Goals. Often, corporations use selective disclosure of positive information and omission of equally or more important negative aspects. Other examples are the marketing campaigns that show symbolic actions that do not really address the root of the problem, such as when airlines plant trees but do not improve their engines’ energy efficiency.

For these reasons, it is important that, regardless of the constant misleading information, consumers should not center their attention on the final product of these marketing campaigns and be critical of what companies are trying to hide or portray.

Actions for a more sustainable cosmetic industry

To take a more hands-on approach, several tools such as apps, online databases, and anti-greenwashing websites are being created and widely available for consumers to investigate the meaning of sustainable claims in the cosmetic industry as well as to inform consumers about the ingredients used to create their products. In addition to that, consumers are starting to demand cosmetic manufacturers’ information on their suppliers and their environmental impact and commitment towards sustainability.

At Lignopure we support and embrace this transparency and, while we are aware that achieving full sustainability in an industry like cosmetics requires multiple efforts implemented and regulated throughout its entire value and supply chain, we are committed to contributing as much as possible to this transition.

For instance, our focus is the upcycling of bioresources, more precisely, lignin. Thanks to our patented technology, we maximize the benefits we can obtain from already exploited plants and leverage the functionality of lignin-based ingredients to reduce the use of damaging ones. We also focus on fair labor and biodiversity protection when selecting our own partners. However, like any other production company, we are bound to optimize our production and logistics to be coherent with our global aim.

With that said, our goal is to position ourselves as an ally to cosmetic brands and manufacturers that want to support their products’ sustainability claims by firstly the use of natural biobased ingredients from upcycled origins and secondly by working with a supplier committed to multiple aspects of sustainability and transparency.

References:

A spotter’s guide to greenwashing – and what to do about it | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

Checking Ingredient Lists Is Easy, Thanks to These 10 Websites (byrdie.com)

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