Greenwashing and Plastics: Getting Ahead of the Upstream Risks
Consumer packaged goods companies know that sustainability sells. And in their efforts to market their products as sustainable, they’ve long contended with allegations of greenwashing—the practice of claiming their products are friendlier to the environment than they actually are.
With these companies facing heavier pressure to shrink their plastics footprint, greenwashing scrutiny of their activities is only sharpening. Recent developments—from private lawsuits to government investigations to shareholder proposals—signal that relief is nowhere in sight.
Yet while consumer packaged goods companies have historically borne the brunt of public outcry about plastic waste, they’re no longer the only companies grappling with plastics-related greenwashing concerns. Indeed, whether from regulators, investors, or consumers, greenwashing scrutiny increasingly targets the entire plastics value chain.
Fundamentally, plastic is processed oil extracted from the ground. While energy companies have been in the crosshairs for some time over the impact of carbon emissions, it is foreseeable that concerns about plastic waste will eventually work their way back to the source: oil.
The Next Big Target
Read the full article at: https://oilmanmagazine.com/greenwashing-and-plastics-getting-ahead-of-the-upstream-risks/
