Greenwashing – it’s pretty icky business. Basically, greenwashing is when a company overstates (or even lies about) its environmental sustainability in order to sell more product. You’ve probably seen a bunch of it on Instagram ads.

We’ve been scrolling through said ads more than usual and are tempted to buy a whole slew of products promising to save the planet. To keep us from an online shopping spiral in quarantine, we reached out to some folks we trust for advice. How do we navigate all of the eco messaging in our targeted advertising?

Advice from a scientist

Honestly, seeing any environmental claim reminds me to stop and ask myself if I need the item at all. It’s so hard to be certain of the truth behind any company’s claims. I’ve decided to focus on buying higher quality items that don’t need to be replaced as often, thereby lowering my overall rate of consumption. I think that’s ultimately more effective than trying to determine the validity of a marketing message. If I feel the urge to change up my clothing or house decor on a whim (happens more than I’d care to admit), I’ll go to a thrift store.

- Rose Donlon, Forest Ecologist with the United States Forestry Department

Advice from an eco blogger

Take a step back and look at the bigger picture of what a company says. Are they shouting from the rooftops about the good work they’re doing in one area, while making moves that completely contradict that work in another? For example, a large fashion retailer might boast about recycling garments, but they’re continuing to pump out a gazillion clothes a day that will probably end up in landfills.

But I get it – sometimes you ain’t got no time for all the necessary fact checking, or the endless search for that ethical pair of sneakers. Lucky for us, there are usually people who have done the work for us! Find these people, follow them and build a trusted posse you can rely on to point you in the right direction.

- Caroline Shields of Be An Unfucker

Advice from a lawyer

As someone with a legal background, I tend to avoid taking anything at face value. This goes for all marketing, but especially “green” claims. Environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important to consumers, and a lot of companies are trying to capitalise on that. I want to see how transparent companies are. Do they have available the information that supports the claims that they are making? Is it easy to find?

- Kate Sherburn, lawyer

Advice from a mum

Is this new product replacing something disposable that you use? Or is it just adding to your collection of stuff? Did you know that you needed it before you saw it? I don’t know how to tell what’s true or what’s not, but usually, the most eco-friendly thing to buy is nothing at all.

- Our copywriter’s mum (she gives pretty good advice)

Advice from our CEO

I've always been a curious individual, so I love reading the back of packs and doing a little research before buying something.  I know lots of people won't love research in the same way that I do—and sometimes you simply don't have time—so a general rule is that if something sounds too good to be true it's always worth digging a little deeper, even if it's just 30 seconds on Google!

- Simon Griffiths, our Co-founder and CEO

Advice from the internet

Just to cover our bases, we took to some online sources for their top tips. Here’s some advice we found:

• Be wary of any packaging that is too “green.” Leaves, cute animals and natural colours are certainly appealing, but don’t let them convince you that anything inside of the package is good for the environment.

• Make sure that any claims are verified by a third party. For example, Who Gives A Crap is B Corp™ certified for the highest standards of environmental impact. That means we’ve got other people making sure we’re doing what we say we are.

• Speak up! Ask for companies’ sources or research that validate their claims. Many will have that information readily available and will be happy to do what they can to make you feel comfortable with your purchase.