i wanted to point out, yet again, the infiltration of greenwashed products in canadian society. more and more, green products are relegated to a higher status in society. the cultural capital associated with taking pains to demonstrate one’s commitment to sustainability through consumption (ironic, no?) is twofold: firstly, consuming these products says to the world, ‘hey, check it out- i care about the environment’. secondly, it speaks to one’s class position. ‘green’ products are more expensive than their conventional counterparts, thus decreasing their accessibility to low-income consumers.
my research drew out a very interesting dynamic on just that. those who eschewed chemicals completely by relying solely on a few ingredients to make their own cleaners (baking soda, vinegar and the like) heralded their cleaning style for its inexpensiveness (although they were quick to point out that such minimalist cleaners required additional elbow grease). conversely, for those who tended to rely on ‘genuine’ eco-cleaners, they lamented their price-tag: not only was it harder on their wallets, but it also created a barrier whereby people on a strict budget could not afford these products and therefore, it was argued, could not participate fully in this particular aspect of the environmental movement.
the problem once again comes down to regulation, or lack there of. (side note- laziness factors in here, too. as i race to finish and defend my thesis, i’ve given up on making my own laundry detergent, settling instead for whatever can be found at the local eco-store.) with no labelling standards or regulations in place, mega corporations are free to market their greenwashed products as they please, leading to this. these so-called green laundry detergents contain petro-chemicals! but you would never know it from reading their labels. so, clorox greenworks (which was cited in my study time and time again as the bad guys of greenwashing) continues to label itself as green,even though they’re far from it. to combat a culture that allows for the proliferation of greenwashing, consumers must take action: first, we must become informed consumers to avoid these products (looking for voluntary accreditation such as EcoLogo is a good place to start). second, we must demand labelling standards so that consumers are not misled by false claims of sustainability or eco-friendliness.
Leave a comment