Comments on: Greenwash Of The Week: Sustainable Brands 2010.

By: david

david — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:11:44 +0000

Call them out, boycott, and force them to change. If people really knew the truth about what these companies do, they would forever stop buying product from them.

Coddling them just lets them continue business as usual, which is exactly why they pay big money to attend conventions like this – it buys great PR without actually making them change anything.

By: Linda

Linda — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:50:33 +0000

Your passion and enthusiasm are amazing and commendable – how can we leverage the energy of activists to help large corporations solve their environmental issues?

Personally, I feel quite strongly about the idea that if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Is the solution really to boycott/call out these companies for their actions, or to collaborate and help them improve?

By: david

david — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:30:47 +0000

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, Sarah. For me, my principles triumph over a paycheck provided by companies buying good PR instead of actually making change. I bet if anyone revisited what these companies promise each year at these events, one would find that most of it never happens or is implemented.

Sorry if that frustrates you, but some of us have to try to hold companies (and those that cover for them) accountable. The environment can’t help itself, and these polluting companies sure aren’t helping it either.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:06:11 +0000

I have just read all these posts and i have to say i totally agree with Linda, KoAnn and Jen. I so often find that people in the ‘green’ industry are so quick to judge, point fingers and quite frankly don’t see nor understand the actual ‘business’ of sustainability. I work as a Sustainability Consultant with some big / high profile brands and i can tell you with my hand on my heart that these huge ‘Mother Ships’ are starting to change their business structures and confront sustainable business head on. Most of their efforts you wont even see for 5-10 years because (for example) it takes that long to completely change their whole global supply chain structure – its not going to happen overnight. Noah, you talk about showing ‘concrete steps’ – that would be brand suicide, it would be seen as ‘greenwashing’ and people like you would be out there screaming from the rafters its all just a ‘marketing gimmick’ – these companies / brands are changing from the inside out first so when they actually talk to their consumers the changes are already in place and the results are accumulating -like McDonalds for example.

So many of the posts above just seem like real ‘greeny’ opinions they seem closed minded, outdated and based on inadequate research.

Quite frustrating really….