Green washing, happy washing, work washing, social washing, feminism washing, french washing... We've been "washing" more and more lately and by dint of turning, the drum is full!
It is imperative for companies to keep up with major societal changes and adapt their offer and positioning, their production and distribution system as well as their management in the era of responsible ecology , sustainable development and well-being at work. For some, washing gives them the opportunity to evolve in depth and to introduce a real Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSR) policy .
For others, it is above all a marketing strategy using the positive image of these new trends without applying them to themselves.
What meaning should we give to this " eco-laundering " ? Should you wash greener than white ? Changing cycles and laundry? We take stock of all the washing programs...
When the green wave swept in...
It was the early 1990s when advertisers understood that ecology was going to become very trendy. Detergents no longer wash white than white, but rather " phosphate-free ", while the performance of lead-free batteries or aerosols protecting the ozone layer is praised. It was around 2006-2007 that the great wave of " natural " products swept over consumers. According to Anne Charon, from the Professional Advertising Regulatory Authority ( ARPP), " studies have shown that ' green ' messages have tripled in a single year." The term " green washing " is becoming more widespread.
What is green washing?
The expression was first used in 1986 by environmental activist Jay Westervelt. The American activist denounced the hypocrisy of the hotel industry which, under the guise of ecology, encouraged customers to accept that their towels were not washed daily.
According to him, hoteliers wanted to reduce the operating costs of their establishments and not save the planet. He then coined the expression " green washing ", in reference to money laundering, an operation consisting of making illegally acquired money clean.
In French, the Petit Larousse only recognizes the term " greenwashing " while the Grand dictionnaire terminologique also offers " ecological masquerade", " green bleaching" and " greening of image ".
Green washing would therefore essentially be a process intended to create a new ecologically responsible image and an effective marketing tool to seduce consumers who are increasingly sensitive to this type of argument. This is how some logos or packaging colors have suddenly changed from yellow to green...
In short, a simple green band-aid intended to deceive his world without wanting to change it.
Which is not wrong ! Many companies have thus surfed the wave, often contenting themselves with boasting, without proof, of their environmental involvement, especially the most polluting industries that wanted to regain their virginity instead of taking concrete action.
I wash, you wash, we wash...
Washing quickly applied to other more " corporate " communication elements, such as the values of the company itself.
Today, the wave has become a tsunami and affects not only all of the company's external communication but also its entire internal functioning: happy washing, social washing, or feminism washing are all terms that concern the policies – not or poorly applied – of well-being and health at work, the quality of management or parity.
Some clever people have also decided to apply plaster to their entire productions. For example , French washing or how to make people believe that a product is " made in France ", when, for example, it is just designed in France but made in China.
Bad practices denounced
In April 2021, French MPs strengthened certain provisions of the draft climate law. They ban advertising for the marketing and promotion of fossil fuels, and toughen penalties against greenwashing.
This amendment reinforces the penalties relating to misleading commercial practices, provided for in the Consumer Code.
The amount of the fine could thus be increased to 80 % of the expenses incurred for the production of the advertising or the practice qualified as greenwashing – compared to 50 % today. In the event of a proven practice of greenwashing, the dissemination of the sanction becomes systematic.
From the beginning of the great wave of washing, the public authorities but also communication professionals themselves had reacted, denouncing fraudulent " laundering ". Among many initiatives from both the public and private sectors, we can mention the creation, in 2009, of an Independent Advertising Observatory ( OIP ) whose main objective is to alert and raise public awareness of these bad practices.
In 2011, they were communication professionals, at the origin of the eco-socio-innovative publicists' collective, who founded the Association for a More Responsible Communication. They intend to call into question the self-regulation of the advertising sector in order to limit cases of greenwashing as much as possible.
On the public authorities' side, Article 90 of the Law of 17 August 2015 on the energy transition for green growth establishes new rules : " In order to guarantee the quality of the environmental information made available to the consumer, producers who voluntarily make an environmental communication or claim concerning their products are required to jointly make available the main environmental information environmental characteristics of these products."
Thus, environmental communication on a product remains voluntary but, as soon as it takes place, it must be accompanied by multi-criteria information, which is by nature richer because it is more complete.
The French Environment and Energy Management Agency, ADEME , offers an " anti-green washing " guide with a self-assessment test on these practices and is launching a responsible communication website dedicated to communication professionals wishing to engage in sustainable development issues.
What are the risks for companies ?
In addition to legal sanctions, " greening " one's communication and only one's communication is not without danger for the credibility of the company.
According to the 2019 study by the Edelman trust barometer , 81 % of consumers consider the honesty of brands before making any purchase decision. In addition, 64 % of them say they choose their brands based on their point of view on societal issues.
The percentage rises to 91 % among millennials, who are becoming true spokespeople for "rebellion" through social networks. 53 % question the veracity of the brands' positions.
Consumers are no longer just looking to satisfy their needs, but their conscience, and they do not intend to be fooled. The same applies when it comes to committing to a company as employees.
In November 2019, the students of the manifesto for an ecological awakening, associated with Génération Climat, published an anti-greenwashing guide to choosing their future employer. For Nathalie Devulder, CSR Director at RTE , the electricity transmission system operator, " this manifesto is a signal that must challenge us and that we must take into account."
Wake up !
Many companies have therefore understood that washing, green or otherwise, is not a viable solution. Their commitment must be proven by facts and not simple declarations of intent or outright lies.
It's time for the great awakening, woke , derived from the African-American slang that means " to be awakened ". Being "woke" is above all being aware of societal injustices such as racism, sexism, patriarchy or even environmental and social injustices. Companies have a fundamental role to play in this awareness and in the search for solutions. They can even find their " raison d'être " in it.
In 2019, in an opinion piece published in La Tribune, Marion Darrieutort, president of Elan Edelmann, Antoine Lemarchand, president of Nature et Découverte, both co-presidents of Entreprise et Progrès, and Laurence Peyraut, vice-president of Entreprise et Progrès and secretary general of Danone-France explained : " For French companies, this is the great adventure of the moment : find your purpose. A few months ago, the PACTE law amended Article 1835 of the Civil Code. This now authorises the company's articles of association to " specify a raison d'être, consisting of the principles that the company adopts and for the respect of which it intends to allocate resources ". (…) Equivalent to what the Americans call " purpose ", it describes a societal project and the role that the company must play in it. (…)
The PACTE law awakens consciences, encourages introspection and offers the company's driving forces a great opportunity to rethink the company, refocus it, in short transform it in the eyes of the company's constituent parts, which are the employees, shareholders, managers and directors, and of society. (…)
It proposes a metamorphosis and requires action. Let's take it seriously. It is an act of governance. The long-term alignment of the company with its purpose must therefore be entrusted to the Board of Directors, nothing less."
For Danone, its raison d'être will be " To bring health through food to as many people as possible". Danone, like dozens of other companies, is therefore becoming a " mission-driven company", whose objectives must be oriented solely on sustainable and virtuous practices.
More transparency and impact measurement
To prevent "woke" or "purpose" from once again becoming a mere band-aid, and turning into "woke washing", transparency and evidence of the impact that a company will have on the planet are demanded by consumers and politicians. For example, a French application, Yuka , which allows consumers to assess the environmental impact of products, contributes to this necessary transparency. And it works...
A company's investment and commitment to environmental protection , sustainable development and a societal policy, green and social marketing, must of course be highlighted in its communication
But "for this construction of the company's ecological legitimacy to be really convincing and effective on public opinion, whose perceptions it seeks to change," explains Éric Viardot, professor of marketing and strategy at the EADA in Barcelona and consultant for large international companies, "it is necessary that the messages sent be in congruence with the practice and therefore the company's objectives and strategy." CQFD.
