Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities.
  • verb To disseminate such information about (something).

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Blend of green ("environmentally friendly") and whitewash

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word greenwash.

Examples

  • It's not for nothing we coined the term "greenwash" at the time -- corporate polluters then, and corporate polluters now, are at the heart of much of what is wrong with the world.

    Kelly Rigg: Rio+20: The Future We Want Means Taking Action NOW Kelly Rigg 2012

  • Unfortunately, 98 per cent of those offerings were judged to be "greenwash" - produced, marketed or sold in ways that were still environmentally damaging.

    The Earth Times Online Newspaper 2010

  • Unfortunately, 98 per cent of those offerings were judged to be "greenwash" - produced, marketed or sold in ways that were still environmentally damaging.

    The Earth Times Online Newspaper 2010

  • Rejecting "greenwash" - not pretending to be more sustainable than they actually are.

    Positive Psychology News Daily 2010

  • Unfortunately, 98 per cent of those offerings were judged to be "greenwash" - produced, marketed or sold in ways that were still environmentally damaging.

    The Earth Times Online Newspaper 2010

  • Citing environmental benefits when simply cutting costs is called "greenwash" - see my blog for more.

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2009

  • You can tell it's an industry shill -- a "greenwash" -- because nowhere on this "nonprofit" site does it ask for contributions or even accept them.

    Consumer Watchdog Updates 2009

  • MTV is launching a global marketing push to tackle climate change that includes a TV ad attacking businesses guilty of "greenwash" - deliberately misleading consumers about their eco-credentials.

    Media news, UK and world media comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk 2008

  • She says it has rigorous verification standards, with a range of third-party experts who inspect homes and test materials to guard against so-called greenwash -- where any effort that is even nominally environmentally friendly gets painted with a "green" brush.

    Ratings Proliferate 2007

  • Google it up along with the key word "greenwash ­" for more info.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com The Huffington Post News Team 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • "Greenwash (a portmanteau of green and whitewash) is a term that is used to describe the actions of a company, government, or other organization which advertises positive environmental practices while acting in the opposite way. The term came into use in the early 1990s, most notably as the title of an article in the 1991 March/April issue of Mother Jones magazine."

    - Wikipedia

    October 29, 2007

  • Great word! Shouldn't we be hearing it a lot more often than we do, though?

    October 29, 2007