Walking the Lines between Green Marketing and...

Walking the Lines between Green Marketing and Green Washing With a Focus on Food Industry

Author Name : Prof. (Dr.) Vijay Singh Dahima , Nilesh Maurya

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56025/IJARESM.2023.120124814

ABSTRACT “Green” and “Sustainable” have been buzzwords over the past few years. Be it the government, the corporate, or the investors; everyone seems to speak the same language hoping to make things more sustainable, greener, and better for the environment. This forces a lot of companies to get into a product or a service that is greener and more sustainable. And with a shift towards greener products is also causing many companies, especially in the food sector, to market their unique green-selling prepositions. This is what Green Marketing is all about. To put it in definition, Green marketing is honest transparent, and the products or services of brands that do green marketing and follow some standards like being free of toxic materials or ozone-depleting substances; made from recycled materials or recyclable; Made from sustainable resources; avoid using excessive packaging; manufactured sustainably and designed to be reusable, and repairable rather than being thrown away. But in the societal and stakeholder pressure of going green, many companies create a barrier to sustainable development. Intentionally or unintentionally, many companies spend more time and resources on advertising sustainability rather than implementing environmentally friendly practices. Simply put, it’s talking the talk without walking the walk. For corporates, it’s a fragile line between green marketing and greenwashing, and many brands unintentionally cross this line in the societal pressure. This paper draws a line between the two, its impact on the brand, and probable solutions and strategies that brands can use to avoid greenwashing with a focus on the food industry.