Greenwashing– don’t get caught by this clever marketing ploy.
For a business, saying you are sustainable is a good marketing stance. It’s a hook designed to land customers as we are told by the media constantly that we need to look after both ourselves as a race, and the planet. So how do you know if a company really is green or if they are just telling you what you want to hear?
Some companies will claim that their products are recyclable or biodegradable for instance. This would lead you to believe that you are buying a product that could be kerbside recyclable or that you compost at home. It is only when you look through the small print that you discover in fact that it is only recyclable at industrial levels or compostable via an industrial composting centre which you are unlikely to have access too. Your chosen eco product that you thought was good for the environment is still going to end up in landfill. Is this Greenwashing? Absolutley.
A sustainable business will have sustainability at their very core. They care about the environment and the people upon this planet. They will look at every aspect of their business from the way they use energy, the suppliers they use and their values, right down to the way a product is shipped. They will look at what happens when that product is no longer wanted and try to minimise the impact on the planet. Simple things like changing rivets to Chicago screws that can be removed, making sure resins and finishes are environmentally friendly, using minimal amounts of non-recyclable plastic are just a few things that can be done to minimise the impact on landfill. They will ensure that employees whether their own or from companies they buy from are treated fairly and paid a fair wage. There are so many aspects to sustainability that simply sticking green or eco on a product is not enough.
As makers and businesses we have a responsibility to this world. With a product that we have not made, how can we guarantee the composition when the Adult Pleasure industry is mainly unregulated for manufacture. When we make a product from start to finish we can answer fully any questions on its provenance. We will know what is and what isn’t going to still be here in 500 years. With the adult pleasure industry being majority unregulated, manufacturers do not have to specify exactly what is in the products, or conform to any recycling/disposal regulations. This area of retail has slipped through the net, simply because these things are sold as adult novelties. We are prepared to use them on and in our bodies without full knowledge of their composition just to get our kink on, yet we will scan thoroughly the label of our shampoo or face cream for things we don’t want to use. There is a skew here in our priorities. Surely something we use, be it for kink or in everyday life, should have the same consideration and regulation? Or is this simply the cost of the Big ‘O’- we do not care when it comes to our adult pleasure.
So what can you do as a consumer to ensure you aren’t being hooked in by greenwashing? Read descriptions, and if you are unsure check the website, and their ethos, and if in any doubt ask questions. If you get the answers you want then it’s a job well done. If not, then its up to you whether you purchase or not, but until we start questioning more, nothing will change in an industry that is worth billions and billions every year. Change needs to happen but without you as a consumer, it sadly will not, but if more voices join the call for a greener kink, then the retail sector will have to strt listening.
#kinkcanbegreen