Since its anti-greenwashing campaign began in 2010, Two Sides has successfully challenged over 1075 organisations that subject their customers to repeated greenwashing messages which are damaging to the paper, print and mailing industry.
With huge pressures on the economy many banks, telecom providers, utility companies and even governmental organisations are increasingly focused on switching their customers from paper to digital services to cut costs and often their customer communications attempt to mask these cost-saving efforts by justifying the switch with unfounded environmental marketing appeals such as ‘Go Green - Go Paperless’ and ‘Choose e-billing and help save a tree’. Recent consumer survey results from the Two Sides 2023 Trend Tracker report reveals that 55% of European consumers now believe environmental arguments from companies to switch to digital communications are misleading and are really about reducing costs.
“Not only are these greenwash claims in breach of established environmental marketing rules, but they are hugely damaging to an industry which has a solid and continually improving environmental record,” said Two Sides Europe managing director Jonathan Tame. “Far from ‘saving trees,’ a healthy market for forest products such as paper encourages the long-term growth of forests through sustainable forest management. Many of the organisations we engage are surprised to learn that European forests have actually been growing by 1,500 football pitches every day.”
Globally, Two Sides has engaged over 2100 organisations making misleading statements about paper. So far, over 1075 of them have removed such statements from their communications and Two Sides continues to engage and inform the remaining organisations. The organisations were located throughout Europe, North and South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
In Europe, to date, 682 companies have removed unsubstantiated claims about paper, including Dunhelm, British Gas, Intermarche, American Express and Sparebanken Vest.
“It remains vital that greenwash is challenged to ensure that the industry’s great environmental record is recognised and that the livelihoods of thousands of industry employees, as well as print, paper and postage volumes, are not damaged by the spread of misleading and opportunistic greenwash marketing,” added Tame.