How to Spot Greenwashing and Verify Eco-Friendly Certifications

As sustainability becomes more important to businesses and consumers, more products are marketed as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable.” However, products that have these terms on their packaging don’t necessarily meet these qualifications. This practice is called greenwashing, and it poses a risk to restaurant owners seeking sustainable alternatives to single-use cutlery. Using these products can result in a harmed reputation, regulatory penalties, and failed audits.

You can avoid greenwashing by being aware of common greenwashing tactics and verifying compostable claims. With this knowledge, you can distinguish between real and misleading eco-friendly certifications, protecting your business and ensuring your commitment to sustainability.

Greenwashing Meaning and History

Greenwashing is when manufacturers claim that their products are eco-friendly, but these claims are exaggerated or unverifiable. This greenwashing definition began in the 1980s when companies claimed to implement sustainable practices but never followed through, and the practice is still common today. The term is a portmanteau of “green” for eco-friendly practices and “whitewash,” the practice of improving reputation by concealing unpleasant facts.

Why Do Companies Greenwash?

The goal of greenwashing is higher profits. Many consumers value sustainability and are willing to pay 9.7% more for eco-friendly products, according to a 2024 PwC consumer survey. Companies with real sustainable products can charge higher prices and have higher sales volumes to make more money.

Greenwashing takes advantage of this by achieving higher profits while shortcutting sustainable materials and practices. While greenwashing can generate more money, it can also cause companies to lose these profits to fines from regulatory bodies, damaged brand reputation, and lost consumer trust.

Real Examples of Greenwashing

The following are some recent greenwashing examples from major corporations:

• In 2018, Starbucks launched straw-free lids to eliminate single-use plastic straws in its stores. However, it was proven that these new lids used more plastic than the original lid and straw combined—and Starbucks admitted this was true.
• SC Johnson said they developed the world’s first window cleaner bottle made with 100% recycled plastic from the ocean, suggesting the plastic was retrieved from garbage in the ocean. In reality, SC Johnson bought the plastic from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Haiti.
• Volkswagen advertised that its diesel internal combustion engines used a technology that emitted minimal air pollution and carbon dioxide. In 2015, it was revealed that many Volkswagen diesel cars had defeat devices that allowed the vehicles to pass emissions tests while emitting pollutants well above regulation limits. In 2017, Volkswagen had to pay a $2.8 billion fine for deceptive advertising and cheating these tests.

Compostable vs. Biodegradable: What’s the Difference?

“Compostable” and “biodegradable” are common terms for sustainable products. Both of these methods break down materials to return them to nature. However, they reach this goal in different ways. Understanding the difference between these standards is key for ensuring your compliance.

Compostable means the product breaks down into its natural elements—carbon dioxide, biomass, and water—within 180 days. The process creates compost that returns nutrients to the soil and supports a circular life cycle. Composting standards ensure the product will break down in this time frame without harmful byproducts.

Biodegradable means the product will break down into its elements by living organisms like bacteria. Unlike composting, there is no time limit for biodegradability—it can take months, years, or centuries for a product to break down. While biodegrading returns natural elements to the Earth, the ecosystem doesn’t receive special benefits from this process. The biodegradable certification also doesn’t guarantee that no harmful byproducts will go into the environment.

When assessing compostable or biodegradable products, a rule of thumb to remember the difference is that all compostable materials are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable materials are compostable.

Globally Recognized Certifications for Compostable Products

Greenwashing practices are one of the reasons why composting and biodegrading certifications exist. These certifications ensure you are buying products that will actually compost and biodegrade as they claim. The leading composting certifications include:

• BPI: The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) sets standards for compostable products in the United States. The BPI certification verifies that the product will biodegrade in industrial composting facilities.
• TUV: TUV is an international certification body for testing compostability. The “OK compost INDUSTRIAL” label ensures the product is compostable in industrial facilities, and the “OK compost HOME” label proves the product will break down in a residential compost environment.
• ASTM: The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has several composting standards, including ASTM D6400 and ASTM D6868.

Common Greenwashing Tactics

The following are some of the ways companies attempt to look eco-friendly with misleading greenwashing claims:

• Ambiguous, non-verifiable symbols on packaging: The product packaging has marks or symbols that look like sustainable standard certifications but are not connected to a reputable agency. Examples include a generic leaf or green checkmark.
• Vague claims: The manufacturer describes the product as “biodegradable”, “green,” “eco-friendly,” or another buzzword, but compostability standards do not back the claims.
• Lack of traceability: When you look for the product’s certificate number, manufacturer information, or public registry listing, no information can be found, suggesting the certification is fake. Sometimes, the supplier claims they cannot provide this proof to protect their formula from competitors.
• Outdated certifications: The packaging lists certifications and standards the product complies with, but upon further inspection, these certifications have been withdrawn from industry use.
• Irrelevant claims: The product claims make it seem like an eco-friendly option, but this claim is irrelevant. An example of an irrelevant claim would be if the product states it is free of a certain compound, but this compound is banned by federal law, so all similar products on the market also lack this compound.

How to Verify Compostable Food Packaging

Follow these steps to verify compostable claims for products:

1. Read the Certification Labels

Look at the product’s packaging for the official certification logos and numbers. Verify that these certifications are the industry’s accepted standards and are still used.

2. Check Certificates With the Organization

Suppliers can provide certificates upon request, proving the compostable standards their products meet. Ask for these certificates and cross-check product listings and certificate numbers with the official BPI or TUV Austria databases.

3. Request Laboratory Test Reports

Like eco-friendly certifications, suppliers also have records of lab test reports. Request a copy of these reports to verify the product’s ecotoxicity, disintegration, and biodegradability. Testing should be conducted in an accredited lab, and the results should match the product batch and be dated within one year.

4. Audit the Supply Chain

Most compostable product suppliers source their products from a supply chain. You can visit or virtually assess these facilities to confirm compliance at every step. For each facility, get more information about their quality control procedures, production processes, and material sources. Complete this audit regularly to make sure your supplier is still in compliance.

5. Verify Compostable Claims With a Small-Scale Test

Make sure that compostable products actually do what they claim by running a composting test. Follow composting standards and any specific directions from the supplier to simulate breakdown in realistic conditions on a small scale. The trial results can boost your confidence in the product’s claims.

6. Stay up to Date on Regulations

Regulations and certifications for compostability change regularly. Stay informed about these updates, and change your policies to implement the latest best practices.

Get in Touch With Greenprint

Greenprint’s plant-based disposables use verified and traceable recycled plastics and certified manufacturing processes. Browse our agave cutlery or contact us to learn more about our eco-friendly certifications.