{"id":52237,"date":"2022-02-11T10:41:51","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T09:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travindy.com\/?p=52237"},"modified":"2022-09-05T10:25:49","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T09:25:49","slug":"what-is-greenwashing-and-how-can-we-avoid-it-while-travelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travindy.com\/news\/2022\/02\/what-is-greenwashing-and-how-can-we-avoid-it-while-travelling\/","title":{"rendered":"What is ‘greenwashing’ and how can we avoid it while travelling?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"What<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

W<\/span>ith brands getting ever cleverer at sharing heart-prodding claims about the environmental benefits of their products or the supposed social impact of their practices, many companies are coming across a good deal more sustainable than they are. So it\u2019s up to us to be more alert to greenwashing than ever. The term \u2018greenwashing’ originates from those notes we\u2019ve all seen in hotels suggesting us guests reuse towels as a way of saving the environment \u2013 when the hosts real motivation is to reduce laundry and housekeeping costs. Hotels and travel agents are busy polishing their halos and talking the right talk, so it\u2019s becoming harder to tell who the true heroes are. Greenwashers are those who shout about their do-gooding loudly to distract us from what they might be doing that is not so considerate, they overstate the little token-gesture acts of sustainability when behind the scenes they\u2019re less than innocent or haven\u2019t got a clue about what it means to be responsible. As ever, we hope to help hone your instincts with our inspiration to travel better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is greenwashing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term was coined by environmentalist Jay Westerveld in a 1986 essay in response to those little signs we still see in hotels that suggest that if we use fewer towels it helps them save the planet (or rather, cuts their laundry costs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beware buzzwords and feel-good fluff<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be hoodwinked by hotels and travel companies that speak in eco-friendly<\/a> platitudes. Transparency and honesty are critical. More than declarations of hope and expressions of feeling, we need substantiated facts and hard evidence. Just as \u2018all-natural\u2019 and \u2018ocean-friendly\u2019 are meaningless on beauty products or in the supermarket, stay alert to hotel websites full of wishy-washy green talk. If a group uses the strapline \u2018responsible luxury\u2019, ask them: \u2018responsible in what way?\u2019 Don\u2019t be afraid to tackle companies when it comes to the technicalities. \u2018Soft language such as “positive luxury” or \u201cnurturing” belongs in a self-help class, but not in a sustainability strategy,\u2019 says Xenia zu Hohenlohe of Considerate Group, which advises hospitality businesses on how to operate more responsibly. \u2018Saying \u201cwe care for our planet and try and reduce our impact\u201d without any evidence as to how is not good enough. My advice is always: don\u2019t talk about your green actions or ESG [Environmental, Social, and Governance] practices until you have something solid to show for them and you can back them up with stories, facts and figures.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an excerpt from an article by Juliet Kinsman, originally published by Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveller<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a wonderful thing that so many people are finally talking about travel being a force for good. The challenge now, though, is how do we really know who\u2019s walking the talk?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":52238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,1871,13,266,675,130,263,535,264,2669,267],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is 'greenwashing' and how can we avoid it while travelling?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It\u2019s a wonderful thing that so many people are finally talking about travel being a force for good. 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