Look how much these two people LOVE the earth. Lovely right? NO! They probably hate the earth, and globes. They are probably GREENWASHERS. Want to learn more about that term that everyone is talking about? Read on my friend:

TLDR Greenwashing: 

Greenwashing is a crafty marketing strategy used by companies to falsely present themselves as environmentally friendly or sustainable. It involves employing deceptive advertising, misleading claims, or ambiguous language to give the impression that their products, services, or overall business practices are more eco-conscious than they truly are.

How do I recognize Greenwashing? 

You're strolling down the grocery store aisle, and you spot a product with a label screaming "All-Natural" or "Eco-Friendly." Sounds amazing, right? But not all that glitters is green - here are some red flags to watch out for: 

🚩 Vague or Generic Claims: Ensure that a brand can back-up their claims.

🚩 Eco-friendly Image overload: Brands use waterfalls and lush tropical landscapes all the time. 

🚩 Irrelevant Information: For instance, a product labeled "CFC-Free" may sound good, but CFCs have been banned for years, making the claim meaningless.

🚩 Lack of Progress: If a company has been making the same green claims for years without any improvement or innovation in their practices, it may be a sign of greenwashing.

Finding Answers: 

To outsmart greenwashers, we need to be savvy shoppers. Here are some tips: -

• Check out companies that spill the eco-beans and show off their sustainable practices.
•  Look for legit eco-labels and 🌱 certifications, like "GOTS Certified" or "USDA Certified" 
• Find a trusted source! Don't want to do the research all the time? That is ok. Find someone who does the work for you. Here are some of our faves:
• Eco-Tok Collective
  
• Going Zero Waste
  
• The Green Hub
  

What about Rosemary's?

Yeah, I need to show those receipts if i'm sharing a blog like this. Here are some of our stats and processes: 

• All of our fabric is GOTS-Certified organic cotton
• Our Daily Napkins are made using a digital printing process that limits water usage and ensures that they will be vibrant after many, many washes
• Our sponges are 100% biodegradable
• All or our packaging is recyclable and/or compostable
• By 2024 we will offset all of our carbon emissions (our biggest carbon contributor is shipping)
• None of our products contribute to the microplastic crisis:
• We do not use any materials that shed microplastics
• We do not ship with plastic
  
• For the average family, each set of our reusable, cloth napkins replaces +3k paper napkins per year
  

Do your best

Staying informed is honestly a pain in the ass - so just do your best. Try starting in one room in your house and replacing one product at a time - or when you are excited to buy something new, spend an extra 5 minutes to understand if the brand you are purchasing from is actually eco-friendly.