Best Practices for Authentic Sustainability - PT Elan Mitra Inti Lestari

Why an Anti‑Greenwashing Roadmap Matters

According to the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), as many as 40% of environmental claims are considered as possibly misleading. The possibility of legal issues aside, if a company that strives for green messaging is found out by its eco-conscious customer base as having made misleading statements, it could very well lose its reputational integrity in the eyes of those customers.

You may then ask, what does proper sustainability messaging look like? Provide facts and proof of how the practices involved in producing your product are environmentally friendly. Things like acquiring certifications from authorized organizations, or tagging your products with more specific details, like “contains 30% less of x material”, rather than with claims, such as “made from sustainable material”, makes the company more transparent with their products.

And if you’re still asking why your company should include sustainable practices, look to brands owned by the same company and compare the sales growth of the brands being marketed as sustainable vs. the brands that aren’t marketed as such. Just as an example, Unilever’s brands marketed as sustainable see more growth than Unilever’s brands that don’t.

Principle 1: Embed Sustainability at the Core

1. Get Your Team on Board

Foster a culture and mindset of following sustainable and green practices within the company, such that each decision made will adhere to those values. Secondarily, marketing holds a crucial role as they are responsible for how messaging goes out. Train them in ethical marketing practices so they may craft transparent, data-driven messages free of misleading claims.

2. Avoid ‘One‑Off’ Green Products

Creating a one time green product does not inspire commitment to the values of sustainable development. If you are transitioning into sustainable practice, be transparent and communicate the timeline for milestones. Altering production methods takes time, be open and inform consumers just how much of your product line has undergone the transformation. Be honest with products that have yet to undergo production changes, inform which products are planned to see changes in the future and which are still undergoing deliberation.

Principle 2: Data‑Driven Claims

1. Quantify Impact

Rather than merely slapping an “eco-friendly” label, add real factual data on tags. As mentioned earlier in this article, be specific about the details. Something like “Uses 40% of recycled x material” is a lot more measurable than using buzzwords for labels.

2. Lifecycle Assessments

A Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates the energy, water usage, and emissions associated with the production, transportation, and waste disposal of a product. Publishing the findings of a LCA will help consumers understand better the product they’re purchasing. This transparency lets customers who are eco-conscious value your brand more as they’re able to make informed decisions on what kind of product they’re buying.

3.Contextual Benchmarks

When releasing a data report on sustainability achievements, providing prior or peer metrics help provide context to just how much has been achieved. Comparisons help customers see real progress, whereas isolated statistics don’t give them much to work with. Comparing data from multiple years lets customers see how much you’ve managed to grow over the years. Putting your numbers up against the industry average also helps customers see how you fare on average.

Principle 3: Third‑Party Verification

Verification through the acquiring of third-party certificates helps validate sustainability claims and efforts through an independent source. This helps mitigate skepticism and enhance the trust of consumers.

Given that these certificate providers adhere strictly to a set of standards, you may be able to further derive insight from them to improve your operations as well. Sharing metrics and standards behind each certification can also help consumers know what said certificate signifies, so long as it’s permissible to release said information.

Principle 4: Honest Storytelling

1. Specific, Evidence‑Based Messaging

When presenting that your products are sustainable, avoid vague, buzzword-based messaging like “green” or “eco-friendly”. Provide precise statements of what was achieved in that product. For example:

- Reduced usage of certain materials by a specific amount.
- Increase in the usage of reused / recycled material by specific amount.
- Pointing out specific changes in the practices done within a production line that are more sustainable.

2. Acknowledge Trade‑Offs

Share the challenges that are faced as you undergo the process of undertaking sustainable practices and products. For example, mentioning that you’ve reduced waste in a product’s lifecycle by a certain amount in percentage, and then voicing future goals for the company. This builds credibility in the eyes of the consumers.

3. Avoid Misleading Imagery

When determining what kind of design is used for the product, be sure not to utilize anything that may mislead consumers into thinking that it is a green product by virtue of the imagery that is utilized. If you are putting out a green product, ensure that imagery is paired with what was mentioned in prior points.

Some products may inherently have natural scenes due to the nature of what the product is, e.g. air fresheners. These obviously try to use natural imagery to specifically invoke what kind of scenery the scent will give, rather than anything to do with sustainable practice. Those are an entirely different matter, and would only be relevant if they decide to use logos or icons that may imply green practices.

Principle 5: Engage Stakeholders Continuously

Regularly train employees on sustainability, show them the difference it makes, and invite them to partake in being mindful. Your marketing employees can then provide customers with resources that help them understand the company’s sustainability journey, such as:

DIY guides, the little things the company’s internal team practices in and out of office
FAQs on the company’s journey towards sustainable practice—what’s been achieved and what obstacles the company has been struggling with.

You may even try to have customers engage with efforts by running campaigns that invite them to partake, such as a recyclable materials campaign, where customers can get discounts for returning old products.

Aside from campaigns, look to informing your customers about the practices of your supply partners through auditing results, their certifications, reports and figures. And lastly, keep up with voices from the public via surveys and other methods to catch any concerns the public may have with the company’s messaging approach and adjust.

A Roadmap to Sustainability

To end this off, an effective anti-greenwashing plan transforms sustainability from a marketing aspiration into a rigorously managed discipline.

Adopt a roadmap, starting with a sustainability audit to benchmark your current claims and data practices against industry standards, then roll out a claims toolkit—complete with lifecycle assessment templates, certification checklists, and evidence-based messaging frameworks—to ensure consistency and credibility. Follow up with stakeholder workshops that equip your marketing, product, and procurement teams to identify and avoid greenwashing pitfalls, and cap it all with an ongoing monitoring system, tracking claim performance, certification renewals, and stakeholder sentiment in real time.

By embedding these practices into your operations, you’ll not only guard against regulatory and reputational risks but also build enduring trust and position your brand as a genuine sustainability leader.

Creating an Anti‑Greenwashing Roadmap: Best Practices for Authentic Sustainability