Is April Still the Greenwashiest Month?

It begins across the begin of April annually: a tsunami of promotions for “sustainable” manufacturers and merchandise eager to leverage the advertising potential of Earth Day.

The April 22 occasion was conceived some 50 years in the past as a method to attract consideration to local weather points and galvanise environmental motion, however nowadays it’s typically handled extra like a buying vacation that lasts the entire month.

Besides this 12 months, one thing is completely different. Earth Day pitches are down year-on-year, primarily based on an off-the-cuff evaluation of the quantity of emails arriving within the inboxes of BoF’s editorial crew. Little doubt, April remains to be younger, however the tone of the messaging has shifted as nicely. Fewer comms groups are circulating buying suggestions — or on the very least, they’ve clocked to not trouble sending them to us.

As an alternative of pushing upcycled, regeneratively farmed or different buzzword-enhanced capsule collections, firms are internet hosting academic talks, selling takeback programmes and providing insights into their broader sustainability methods.

Lululemon even managed to drop its first product made utilizing a brand new polyester recycling know-how earlier this week with out referencing Earth Day in any respect.

So what’s modified?

Regulation, for one. Over the past two years there’s been a seismic shift in what promoting watchdogs in main markets like Europe and the UK will tolerate relating to sustainability advertising.

Labels as soon as generally used to market Earth Day collections, like “inexperienced,” “eco” and “accountable,” at the moment are dangerous, if not verboten. British manufacturers acquired a well timed reminder of this final week, when Boohoo and Asos reached an agreement with the UK’s Competitors and Markets Authority to vary the best way they market the environmental credentials of their garments in order that any potential advantages are extra correct and clear.

“The trade as a complete is a lot extra educated and individuals are additionally just a little bit afraid of creating a mistake and getting known as out for stuff,” mentioned Carrie Ellen Philips, co-founding accomplice at consulting and communications agency BPCM. “What we’re seeing right here is that firms are realising that sustainability doesn’t equal one higher product, it equals doing higher all 12 months.”

The strategic calculus for manufacturers has shifted, too. Launching an upcycled capsule or natural line now ranks as an also-ran in an more and more saturated market, somewhat than a distinguishing promotional second. And for firms actually working to enhance their environmental footprint, any communication round Earth Day dangers getting drowned out or related to much less significant actions.

“That is the Hallmark card vacation of sustainability,” mentioned Erin Allweiss, co-founder of communications agency No.29, which represents manufacturers whose companies are impact-focused. “It’s gotten so loud round Earth Month that we advocate not doing issues as a result of it detracts from work occurring 12 months spherical and it will get misplaced.”

It’s laborious to make a reputable case to shoppers that firms are working extra responsibly whereas utilizing an occasion designed to lift consciousness concerning the local weather disaster as an excuse to shill extra garments, a key contributor to the issue.

“On this over-consuming, over-production period, when you meet Earth Day with simply one other product, you’re not getting the memo,” mentioned Emma Beckett, managing director at Emma Beckett PR.

More and more, it appears manufacturers have clocked this cognitive dissonance. And that opens up the chance to discover new methods to have interaction with Earth Day by making an attempt to advertise schooling and motion, somewhat than merchandise.