Greenwashing

🗓️ Idiom: Greenwashing

💬 Meaning

• Pretending to be environmentally friendly while doing little or nothing to help the environment.
• Using marketing or public relations to give a false impression of sustainability or eco-responsibility.

🧠 Example Sentences

• Some companies use greenwashing to attract customers without making real changes.
• The advertisement was criticised for greenwashing because the product was not truly eco-friendly.
• It’s important to check for real data and avoid falling for greenwashing claims.

🏛️ Origin

The term “greenwashing” was first used in the 1980s. It combines “green” (meaning environmentally friendly) with “whitewashing” (covering up the truth). It was originally used to describe hotels that claimed to be eco-friendly without actually reducing waste or saving energy.

📝 Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blank:
The brand was accused of ________ because its actions didn’t match its green image.

2. Multiple choice:
What does “greenwashing” mean?
a) Cleaning something in a natural way
b) Making honest environmental improvements
c) Pretending to be eco-friendly without taking real action

3. Rewrite the sentence:
“The company tried to look eco-friendly.”

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