Marketing Green Or Greenwashing: Clorox
Clorox Green Works – natural and biodegradable cleaning wipes. This is where I get confused as to what is greenwashing and what is not. Certainly it’s a form of manipulative advertising. We see in the ad that it says these cleaning wipes are 99% natural and biodegradable, which if that is true, is pretty stinking cool. The Ecollo blog seems to think Clorox is doing something special. If they are actually making some major improvements, is it wrong to put their plastic bottle in the middle of a grassy, green photo with flowers and sunshine? Is it okay to use words like “naturally?” I’m not sure, but it all seems like manipulative marketing anyway. The caption reads, “Just what the world needs. Another cleaning product…Actually they’re exactly what the world needs.” What do you all think?
May 18, 2009
I think it is a good idea what they are doing…if Clorox did nothing to addres the environment and the chemicals in cleaning products, we would complain about that. too So it’s in a plastc bottle, could the bottle be made of recycled materials? We can each do a part to help the environment, so their ad campaign is not perfect but it’s something.
May 19, 2009
I am not sure it is ‘just what the world needs’? yet another cleaning product when bicarbonate of soda and vinegar & a washable cloth cleans the house far more cheaply and safely than the company in your photo. I can smell the fresh cut grass and greenwashing!
June 26, 2009
It is not what the world needs… no one is monitoring these statements by Clorox that says \99% biodegradable\ and it’s their own company calling themselves green.
They hide the names of their ingredients to trick people who don’t understand chemicals…. they’re one of the worst green washers on the market.