A lot of companies have recently started to show interest in sustainability. In fact, most of the biggest companies in the world publish sustainability reports. This comes with the pressure placed on them by the government, shareholders, and employees. More and more people are also supporting and patronizing businesses that make these efforts.

A lot of electronics manufacturers have joined in on this movement with products advertised as eco-friendly and sustainable. However, do these claims actually do anything for the environment? Unfortunately, this is a practice called “greenwashing,” which involves misleading customers about the environmental credentials of a brand or product. Among others, it may be performed by exaggeration, deception, or false advertisement.

Right now, there are plenty of eagle-eyed consumers who have caught on to this bad practice. Nearly half of them claim that they don’t have a way to verify the sustainability claims of retailers. What makes this even worse is that 44% claim not to trust these statements. Unfounded claims may damage the reputation of a business when it comes out that they are not true to their word.

Let us not forget that various issues plague the electronics industry right now. A lot of people are skeptical due to planned obsolescence, which is the practice of making products harder to fix or update.

If a company wants to do good on its promises regarding sustainability, the evidence must be presented. This offers a way to engage meaningfully with customers, improve brand preference, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. It would require businesses to have real-world data and quantifiable evidence.

In the end, this is also the only way to make a real impact. It is important for companies to help save the environment. Customers are going to appreciate the genuine effort.