Goodyear’s Eco-Tyre Claims All Hot Air
You could be excused for thinking that Australia is on top of its environmental problems based on the amount of talk that business directs towards the issue. But our regulator’s recent swoop on tyre-manufacturer Goodyear’s inflated sales pitch shows that as green issues become mainstream, you have to be more wary of manufactures’ claims, not less.
It would be nice to think that as the world collectively wakes up to its immense environmental challenge that business could be relied on to direct its muscle and intelligence towards addressing these problems, authentically.
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New markets, old tricks
Alas, the latest corporate bust in Australia shows greenwashing is alive and well and any corporate commitment to the environment had not got past the jabbering of the marketing department.
Indeed the public’s new found enthusiasm for environmental causes and its eagerness to express this through purchasing decisions is proving the perfect breeding ground for cynical and short-sighted businesses.
Goodyear called to account
A group currently epitomised by tyre-manufacturer Goodyear after the Australian corporate watchdog found that there was no way it could substantiate a bunch of claims, including that its Eagle L5200 tyres were: revolutionary and designed to be environmentally friendly, produced in a process that reduced carbon dioxide emissions and, my particular favorite, used BioTRED technology that improved fuel economy and reduced the impact on the environment.
As part of the court undertaking made last month Goodyear had to apologise for its dodgy claims, as well as offer customers partial refunds.
If only they were a lone maverick. But they are merely the last in a line of big name corporations that have taken the low road to corporate sustainability.
Bad apples a plenty
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has also made similar claims against Woolworths, LG, Origin, Energy Australia, Sanyo and Dimplex.
A case against GM Holden’s “Saab is green” advertising campaign, which promised to plant 17 native trees for every vehicle sold to make the car carbon neutral, is also making its way through the courts according to newspaper reports.
While the know-how and can-do of business is crucial to turn our economies into something close to sustainable, it is a pity that we will also have to waste a hell of a lot of time weeding out the pretenders from those that care.
Be careful out there
Going green is one of the key consumer trends of this new century, but unfortunately we will not be leaving greed behind. Consumers’ old tricks will have to be at the top of their minds. Buyers beware.
very dodgy indeed. I’m glad they were caught for their false marketing.