Don’t Be Fooled:
Greenwashing in the Building Industry

Environmental impact is increasingly shaping our choices as consumers. In response, more and more companies are eager to appear “green” in their product claims and marketing.

In last month’s issue, we discussed what environmental labels are, and how they can help you choose more sustainable building products. But what happens when sustainability claims aren’t backed by evidence – i.e. “Greenwashing”? In this article, we’ll unpack what greenwashing looks like, why it’s a growing concern in the building industry, and how you can cut through the noise to make informed choices.

What is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is when a product, service, or company makes misleading or exaggerated environmental claims to seem more sustainable than they truly are. In the construction sector, this can be vague labels, unverified claims, or clever branding that hides a lack of real environmental performance. The problem with greenwashing is that it can mislead people who are genuinely trying to reduce their environmental footprint – they may believe they're making a positive difference, when in reality, their actions have little or no real environmental benefit.

Here are some marketing tricks to be wary of.  They may sound impressive, but without proper backing, they can be meaningless or misleading.

1. Vague phrases

These phrases may make you feel good, but you need to check to find out how (or if) they are measured or validated.

·      e.g. “non-toxic” “, eco”, “100% green product”, “carbon neutral”, “organic”

2. Misleading claims

Some products make environmental claims that aren’t entirely true or are presented out of context.

Recyclability - A product might technically be recyclable, but it doesn’t mean it will actually be recycled. Whether or not it gets recycled depends on local recycling facilities, the market demand for the recycled product, and logistics (e.g. waste transportation).

Take green PET strapping for example (used for securing timber)  – it’s a pure plastic and is technically recyclable. But in NZ:

  • It has little to no market value (due to its colour and being non-food grade)

  • It’s hard to sort and process due to its hardy, tangled nature

  • It may be confused with other strapping types.

These factors all mean that it is extremely unlikely to be recycled in NZ – so calling it “recyclable” doesn’t really say anything meaningful or useful from a sustainability point of view.

Another example - some paint products that claim to be “VOC-free” (Volatile Organic Compounds) may still contain trace amounts of VOCs. This is because making completely VOC-free, durable paint is virtually impossible. A more honest label would say “low VOCs” along with the concentration.

3. Compostable and Biodegradable

“Compostable” and “biodegradable” labels are another good example.

A compostable product may only break down under specific conditions, such as high temperature and a controlled environment, and not in a home compost bin (which would be labelled “home compostable”). This means you need to make a real effort to compost it properly, e.g. by sending it to an industrial composter.

Just because something is compostable does not mean that people will compost it. If it’s thrown into general rubbish, it contributes to landfill waste just like any other item.

“Biodegradable” claims can be tricky, especially if they don’t explain how long it takes the product to biodegrade or what it turns into. Technically, many materials are biodegradable, which means they are broken down by living organisms. Even plastics are biodegradable over extremely long periods, but they break up into smaller microplastics during the process, which can have negative environmental effects. Therefore, even though a material is labelled as “biodegradable”, it may not provide much positive environmental impact.

4. Fake labels

Some companies design their own “green” logos or labels to give the impression of official certification. These symbols can look convincing, but be sure to check that they have standards, oversight, or verification behind them.

5. Hidden trade-offs

This is where a business claims its operations are “sustainable” in some way but provides no visibility of its manufacturing process or supply chain. They may hide other negative impacts of their process.

6. Irrelevant claims

Some claims may be technically true, but meaningless.

e.g. a product claims “no asbestos”, even though this should apply to all products. Asbestos-containing materials are banned in NZ and shouldn’t be sold. This simply restates existing regulations.

Conclusion

Being truly environmentally conscious means considering the whole lifecycle of the products you choose, which can be a big task. Environmental labels are designed to help you make those decisions, but they aren’t always what they seem. Hopefully, this article helps you to recognise some of these misleading claims.

Sometimes there are minimal ‘green’ options, so it’s important to weigh up the best environmental benefits against cost and availability. Do what you can, when you can – every effort helps make the world a better place for our future generations. And if you can’t find the most sustainable product, choosing the most durable one is a good next step.