Thank you for being part of our writing journey! Throughout this semester, we have shared some greenwashing methods and strategies by businesses and governments. Undoubtedly, there has been greater awareness in sustainability and being environmentally-friendly. For instance, governments from all around the world have been highly encouraging the use of electric vehicles in their countries. Having said that, though many know that electric vehicles are ‘greener’, not many know that the effectivity of the electric vehicles ultimately depends on the energy mix of the country. Increasing numbers of businesses have also started to jump on the sustainability bandwagon, using ‘green’ methods as an advertising gimmick to boost their profits, to attract sustainable consumers. Again, we should also perhaps give a benefit of doubt to those environmentally-friendly businesses. Consumers like ourselves should not only be environmentally-conscious, but should also be more aware and learn how to better identify businesses’ greenwashing tactics.

Once again, thank you for reading our posts 🙂

I’m pretty sure we all came across the 11.11 sales advertisement by Shopee and Lazada whenever we use Youtube recently. With more people shopping online for their goods during the COVID-19, the 11.11 Singles’ Day sales in 2020 is expected to break records in Singapore (Lay, 2020). Singaporeans, in average, spent more than US$1000 each, which is notably higher than the global average of US$634 (Giri, 2020).

Although more and more companies are going green and environmentally-friendly, this sustainable practice doesn’t seem to be applicable for e-commerce. Famously known to be environmentally-friendly, LUSH is even having a 2 hour Flash Sale as well during the 11.11 sales period on Shopee (Teh, 2020). Why is the 11.11 Singles’ Day Sales bad then? The increased e-commerce spending will also result in the rise of the plastic packaging generated. You see, when you purchase goods online, especially fragile goods, you will definitely expect more packaging involved (boxes, tapes, bubble wraps, foams) so that it will secure and prevent the item from being damaged. So to prevent refund or returned items, the retailers will wrap more than needed for the items online (Giri, 2020). Moreover, despite the increased in recycling practices, only a mere 5% of the plastic packaging is recycled in China (Stanway, 2019). Besides the potential worsening of plastic pollution online shopping can cause, increased in online shopping can also increase the demand for last-mile delivery by 78% in 2030, which produces more carbon emissions from the online shopping deliveries.

We, as consumers, defintely need to reflect upon our own consumption patterns. Rather than to recklessly buy because there is a massive sale ongoing on, we really need to be more mindful with our purchase and not impulsively ‘add to your cart now‘ just because Lee Minho told us to do so.

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References

Giri, A. (2020, November 10). Commentary: The 11.11 sale is great except for the plastic waste it generates. Channel News Asia. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/11-11-sale-plastic-waste-sustainability-13498306

Stanway, D. (2019, November 11). On Singles’ Day, green groups warn of China’s surge in packaging waste. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-singles-day-pollution-idUSKBN1XL0A4

Teh, J. (2020, October 27). Did you know Shopee 11.11 Big Sale has started? Techielobang. Retrieved from https://techielobang.com/blog/2020/10/27/shopee-11-11-big-sale-has-started/

Whiting, K. (2020, January 10). Online shopping is polluting the planet – but it’s not too late. World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/carbon-emissions-online-shopping-solutions/

Good news for all vegans and supporters of plant-based diets, as McDonald’s, in collaboration with Beyond Meat, has just announced the launch of its new plant-based burger, the McPlant!

McPlant can be expected to arrive in selected markets in early 2021 and was developed to cater to the growing demands for non-meat diets. Growth of plant-based meat has been on the rise due to food supply disruptions and people’s preference for healthier food choices, with statistics showing an increase in sales of 265% for plant-based meats between February and April this year (Quek, 2020).

Plant-based meats has been an amazing development for the environment through significantly reducing the feed, water, emissions, and land costs from producing beef. However, there has been lots of criticisms revolving around the nature of plant-based meats as highly-processed foods. Although it has high amounts of sodium and fat, many do not consider the fact that these “unhealthy” nutrients are present in regular meat products, concluding that plant-based meats are still very much a viable alternative. In addition to what’s crucial, taste, costs, and convenience play dominant roles in shaping our food choices. Though innovation may save the world, but the choices we make as consumers are equally critical in creating meaningful impacts to the environment.

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References

The Straits Times. McDonald’s launching meatless ‘McPlant’ burger. (2020, November 10). Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/life/food/mcdonalds-launching-meatless-mcplant-burger 

Quek, E. (2020, May 24). Growing interest in plant-based meat. The Straits Times. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/growing-interest-in-plant-based-meat

Scipioni, J. (2020, July 21). Impossible CEO on critics who say plant-based meat is unhealthy: ‘It’s bull—-’. CNBC Make it. Retrieved from: https://cnb.cx/3aGMPhn

Let’s talk about Covid-19 and possible impact on the environment. Many have argued that, because of isolation practices, the environment would benefit from the reduction in travel and consumption. Air has been proven to be cleaner in many parts of the world, and biodiversity has thrived in others, with dolphins showing up at the harbour of Italy. Emissions were reported to have fallen 25% in China at the start of 2020 (Henriques, 2020).The “Anthropause”, which is the dramatic slow down of human activity caused by the pandemic has been useful for scientists in providing a better understanding between human and animal relationship (Loretto et al., 2020).

However on the flip side of things, plastic waste generation seem to have increased dramatically during Covid-19 lockdown, which mainly include single-use hygiene related plastics such as masks and gloves. On top of that, social distancing measures have also witnessed increase in single-use plastic food packaging take-away food seem to be the only option as restaurants are closed for dine-ins (Prata et al. 2020; Vanapalli et al. 2020).

Benefits from the lock seem to only be temporary as restrictions are slowly being lifted. Based on past trends, emissions that fall during recession periods, often bounce right back up, erasing any previously short-term cuts in emissions (Henriques, 2020). More importantly, the response shown during the outbreak has proven that large scale action is possible, if real action were to take place to combat climate change, showing how communities and people can work together to tackle problems.

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References

Henriques, M. (2020, March 27). Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have fallen across continents as countries try to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. Is this just a fleeting change, or could it lead to longer-lasting falls in emissions? BBC. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200326-covid-19-the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-the-environment

Prata J. C., Silva A. L. P., Walker T. R., Duarte A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic repercussions on the use and management of plastics. Environ Sci Technol, 54, 7760–7765.

Rutz, C., Loretto, M. C., Bates, A. E., Davidson, S. C., Duarte, C. M., Jetz, W., … & Primack, R. B. (2020). COVID-19 lockdown allows researchers to quantify the effects of human activity on wildlife. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4(9), 1156-1159.

 

Just a few days ago, Apple declared that it will remove its chargers and earphones, so as to allow “70% more boxes to be shipped on a pallet” which will “cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually” since it requires smaller packaging sizes, to become a carbon-neutral business by 2030. At first glance, it certainly sounds great — a famous business trying its best in reducing its carbon emissions and environmental pollution impacts, making the business in general more sustainable and greener.

When taking a closer look, however, it is not as green as we thought. With the removal of chargers and earphones, buyers should technically get a discount for it. However, this is not the case for iPhone 12. Apple is in fact using the name of sustainability, to cut its costs while profiting more from the sales of iPhone 12. Besides that, the new iPhone cable is apparently not even compatible with the older version chargers. It takes relatively longer time to charge the iPhone 12 with the older chargers. With this, it actually encourages consumers like us to buy the newer chargers.

Perhaps, the best way for Apple to be more environmentally-friendly is to make iPhone more long lasting and easier to repair. That being said, that’s quite impossible considering that Apple is ultimately a profit-making business.

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References

Booth, C. (2020, 11 November). Your new iPhone 12 should be $38 cheaper. The Next Web Plug. Retrieved from https://thenextweb.com/plugged/2020/10/15/new-iphone-12-cheaper-charger-earbuds-earpods-analysis/

Engels, A. (2020). Smartphones without chargers: Greenwashing attempt from Apple and Samsung. NextPit. Retrieved from https://www.nextpit.com/smartphones-without-chargers-apple-samsung-greenwashing-attempt

Ng, L. (2020, 17 October). Apple’s Latest Greenwashing Stunt. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/swlh/apples-latest-greenwashing-stunt-35328094011a

Mishra, V. (2020, 22 October). Apple: Thinking Inside the Box. Counter Point Research. Retrieved from https://www.counterpointresearch.com/apple-thinking-different-inside-box/#:~:text=Removing%20chargers%20and%20earphones%20would,year%E2%80%9D%2C%20according%20to%20Apple.

In a continuation from upcycling, recycling has been deemed as the better option, yet again to be disappointed from facts that have often been left out. Many environmentally conscious consumers do their part in sorting and recycling their waste at the curbside, however, the processes that occur once the recyclables are out of the consumers sight have to be traced and made known to consumers.

Only a small fraction of what we put into recycling bins, actually gets recycled, between 1950s to 2015, only 9% of all plastic waste generated was actually recycled, 12% are incinerated, and the remaining 79% are dumped into landfills or into the environment (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2018). Large portions of plastic waste recycled were exported to third world countries like Cambodia and Vietnam, most of which gets accumulated and pollute their environment.

What was imported to be recycled by third world countries, ended up on the curbsides. From the curbsides of developed nations, to the curbsides of less-developed nations. Every month, approximately 260 tons of plastic waste was exported from the US to seaside town of Sihanoukville in Cambodia, where no proper systems are in place to deal with these imports, resulting in streets and beaches to be covered with plastics (Peren, 2019).

As consumers, having the knowledge of a product’s life cycle is important, understanding the production network provides accountability and responsible production practices and consumption, and understanding the end of life cycle is equally important. Amongst the 3Rs, reducing would have to be the top contender when it comes to sustainable living, using less is always best!

 

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References

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2019). Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste and Recycling. Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data#PlasticsTableandGraph

Peren, N. (2019, June 17). Where does your plastic go? Global investigation reveals America’s dirty secret. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/17/recycled-plastic-america-global-crisis

Upcycling is repurposing the waste we intend to throw, to create something new with the waste, reducing the waste we produce. It sounds like a good idea, right? It reduces the waste we produce, minimises the carbon emissions, and also reduces the pollution issues from the excessive waste we produce from our consumption and production habits (Wilson, 2016). Nevertheless, upcycling may not be as green as it looks. The plastic waste used to upcycle and repurpose the new products are actually taken from the plastic that could and would be recycled (Hrovat, 2018). Upcycling inevitably continues to encourage the use of plastic, instead of actually reducing the plastic consumption.

Upcycling of wooden pallets can also be detrimental to the environment, because more trees are being chopped down since upcycling technically cuts the pallet’s life span (Grocer, 2019). Therefore, upcycling may not be environmentally-friendly, though many businesses may use upcycling as a marketing technique to attract consumers that wants to be sustainable, consumers need to understand the potential problems of upcycling as well. It is not to say that upcycling should be stopped, but we need to consider changing our consumption habits first.

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References

Grocer. (2019, November 30). Upcycling of wooden pallets is bad for environment, warns IPP. NLA Media. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/docview/2319664943/citation/639FA5C120A549EBPQ/1?accountid=13876

Hrovat, N. (2018, October 18). How Upcycling and Environmentalism are Turning to Shit and Creating Even More Issues. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@nejahrovat/how-upcycling-and-environmentalism-are-turning-to-shit-and-creating-even-more-issues-9ce5fafc173d

Wilson, M. (2016). When creative consumers go green: understanding consumer upcycling. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 25 (4), pp. 394- 399.

As individual consumers, we often feel insignificant, using this fact to comfort ourselves in our indulgent consumption habits. In 2008, a Walmart employee was trampled to death by Black Friday shoppers in New York. The extent of many consumers behaviours have proven to be distasteful and unnecessarily excessive.

Today’s posts targets directly at the role of individual consumption behaviours. Before putting the blame on organisations or business for the environmental degradation, household individuals are responsible for 50 – 60% of environmental impacts on the planet (Jacobs, 2016). According to a study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, four-fifths of environmental impacts of consumerism traces back down to the supply chain, and not from transportation or taking long showers (Ivanova et al., 2015). Individuals often lack accurate information and knowledge about their environmental footprint, especially impacts from secondary sources down the supply chain.

Consumerism has been slowly eroding our planet and its time for individuals to face the reality that despite being only a single person out of 7.5 billion people, our actions do play a part in creating a change, and we have the power the power to decide the fate of the earth.

 

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References

Bradshaw, A. (2019, November 29). Mass consumerism is destroying our planet. This Black Friday, let’s take a stand. The Guardian. Retrieved from:https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/29/mass-consumerism-black-friday-climate-catastrophe-consumption-shopping

Ivanova, D., Stadler, K., Steen‐Olsen, K., Wood, R., Vita, G., Tukker, A. & Hertwich, E.G. (2016). Environmental Impact Assessment of Household Consumption. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 20, 526-536.

Jacobs, S. (2016, February 24). Consumerism plays a huge role in climate change. Grist. Retrieved from: https://grist.org/living/consumerism-plays-a-huge-role-in-climate-change/

The Guardian. Wal-Mart worker killed in Black Friday shopping stampede. (2008, November 29). Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/29/wal-mart-blackfriday-shoppersstampede

 

Remember that photograph of the turtle with a straw stuck in it’s nose? That image sparked the internet’s awareness of ocean plastic pollution.

So how do these plastics end up in the ocean? Humans are fully responsible for this. Littering and improper disposal of plastic items often find its way into oceans through rivers and drains, where rainwater could easily transport them into the ocean. Based on current trends, there could be 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish in the next 5 years, that is(Jambeck, et al., 2015). This endangers marine life through entanglement or when ingested. Although proper waste management system could be implemented to prevent plastics from entering the ocean, individual consumers have an equally important responsibility in this. As individuals, reducing single-use plastic consumption could combat ocean pollution, that reduces the total amount of plastics being circulated in our economy.

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References

World Widelife Fund. (n.d.). How does plastic end up in the ocean?. Retrieved from: https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/how-does-plastic-end-ocean

Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., … & Law, K. L. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science, 347 (6223), 768-771.

Owning a reusable things seems to be a trend lately. I was always skeptical regarding reusable things, especially reusable straws and reusable cup holders, since it is kind of a hyped-up thing, and not really for the sake of saving the environment. That being said, I used to think that reusable cups, however, is a completely different thing and looks more useful and effective in reducing the footprint of disposable cups. While scrolling the web to find out more greenwashing topics to write for this blog, I was mildly surprised to see a Mothership article saying that bamboo reusable cups are not always environmentally-friendly. According to Stiftung Warentest, they mentioned that bamboo cups often contains melamine resin in it, which is basically some sort of plastic used in children’s dishes. Despite most of the bamboo reusable cups state that these cups are biodegradable because it is made of bamboo, it does not actually decompose after years, which creates environmental pollution problems during the disposal.

Although going green and using reusable things are the trend now, we (the consumers) need to be able to identify reusable products that may be potentially greenwashed by businesses, as they may be using such products to gain more profits, and not really doing it for the sake of the environment! 🙁

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References

Stiftung Warentest. (2019, 23 July). Bamboo cups in the test: Most of them release high levels of pollutants. Retrieved from https://www.test.de/Bambusbecher-im-Test-Die-meisten-setzen-hohe-Mengen-an-Schadstoffen-frei-5496265-0/

Zheng, Z. (2019, November 15). Bamboo reusable cups are not always biodegradable & can be harmful to health. Mothership. Retrieved from https://mothership.sg/2019/11/bamboo-reusable-cups-environment/