Courtesy of Greenpeace
As the specter of global warming looms, most of us want to do our part to turn back the tide of environmental destruction. As with everything, M. Taufiqurrahman finds, it’s still a case of buyer beware when making green choices.
It has become de rigueur for Jakartans in the know to look for “eco-friendly” labels on products and listen up as corporate talking heads speak of “sustainable development” and “green business”.
What they don’t know, however, could hurt them, or at least their belief in all those promises of environmentally friendly products and green business. It’s inevitable that as consumers demand more environmentally responsible choices, there are some businesses out there all too ready to exploit their guilt and make money off their fears.
It’s called greenwashing, the action by which companies mislead consumers on their environmental practices or their products’ eco credentials.