Have you ever bought a shirt after noticing that the tag claims it’s sustainable? If so, you may have been a victim of greenwashing, a marketing tactic companies use to make misleading claims about the environmental impact of a product. By using vague terms that lack legal regulation, companies can benefit from consumers’ interest in sustainability without truly implementing environmentally conscious practices. Check the tags below to learn about five greenwashing terms used frequently by brands.

Biodegradable
Companies often label items as “biodegradable” to suggest that they break down over time after disposal. However, landfills often lack the conditions necessary for biodegradable products to fully decompose.

Biodiversity-friendly
Some companies use this term to suggest their products have a positive impact on biodiversity or do not contribute to species extinction. However, there is no way for consumers to verify a company’s actual impact on ecosystems, making it unclear whether items are truly biodiversity-friendly.

Made with sustainable materials
This phrase can imply that a product is eco-friendly, even if only a small percentage
of its material is organic or recycled. The remainder of the material may be composed of synthetic fibers, such as virgin polyester, which are not actually sustainable.

Recycled
The term “recycled” refers to material that was recovered to produce a new product rather than
being deposited as waste. Companies often do not specify what recycled material they have used or whether it can be recycled further, giving the impression of sustainability without providing additional details.

Vegan
The term “vegan” can have varying interpretations, such as implying that a product contains no animal material or that animal labor was not used in its production. Since “vegan” is an unregulated term, marketers may use it in any way, leading to potential misconceptions.