Greenwashing, Sustainability, and Lean Manufacturing

Before any of us have really had a chance to digest the concept of sustainability, we’re now expected to judge manufacturers on what constitutes true sustainability and what is baseless hype. Outside the supermarket world of nutrition labels (and even inside that world, at times), this presents a tricky task to consumers, who generally don’t have a measuring stick by which to judge claims of green manufacturing.

But manufacturers themselves may be equally confused about how to present themselves and their products to customers. Terms like “biodegradable,” “recyclable,” and “natural” all sound attractive to eco-minded customers, but we’re still in the process of sorting out exactly what they mean in a legal context, notes an article by Kristina Tridico of the law firm Ice Miller LLP.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission indicated that it would update its “Green Guides” to define many of the terms that populate the sustainability pool, and would use its authority to crack down on greenwashing. A February New York Times article quoted David Vladeck, director of FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in his testimony to Congress (bracketed text added):

“In response to the explosion of green marketing in recent years, the [FTC] initiated a review of its Green Guides to ensure that they are responsive to today’s marketplace,” Vladeck said in his written testimony. The commission is looking into topics beyond the scope of the existing guides, he noted, “because many currently used green claims … were not common when the Commission last revised the Guides.”

On a smaller scale, some manufacturing industry groups are tackling sustainability and greenwashing on their own. Earlier this month at our Manufacturing Leadership Summit in Palm Beach, FL, I spoke to Tim Markley, president of Markley Enterprise, about what the concepts mean to his specialty graphics business, which makes and distributes trade show and point-of-purchase displays, as well as large-format graphics.

“There’s a lot of greenwashing out there,” he told me. “In our industry, we have a lot of products [where] all people have done is change the name; they haven’t changed the products.”

To bring more rigor to sustainability efforts in his industry, Markley helped chair a sustainability committee for the Specialty Graphics Industry Association. That effort is an interesting one, but what I found even more interesting was the way sustainability and lean manufacturing mesh at Markley Enterprise.

Check out this short video to hear Markley’s take on the intersection of sustainability and lean:

What about you: Can sustainability re-energize your lean efforts? Do you know what sustainability means to your industry? Are your competitors greenwashing their products?