What Is Greenwashing? A Checklist for Environmental Claims

Who Is This Guide For?

This guide is for businesses that describe their products, services or premises as “eco-friendly”, “natural” or “sustainable”. It answers three questions: what greenwashing is, how it puts a business at risk, and how to check sustainability communication before it is published. The aim is not to silence your communication, but to make sure there is evidence behind everything you say.

What Is Greenwashing and Which Businesses Does It Affect?

Greenwashing (yeşil aklama in Turkish) is when a business makes vague, exaggerated or unprovable claims that present its environmental performance as better than it really is. It can be deliberate, but it can just as easily come from a well-meant slogan with no data behind it. The result is the same: the reader forms an impression of the business that does not reflect reality.

Greenwashing is not limited to advertising copy. Websites, product labels, packaging, social media posts, information cards in hotel rooms, tender documents and client presentations can all contain environmental claims. That is why the issue concerns every business that presents itself as environmentally responsible, whatever its size.

In Türkiye, commercial advertising and practices that mislead consumers are supervised under the consumer protection legislation in force. The Reklam Kurulu (Advertising Board) within the Ticaret Bakanlığı (Ministry of Trade) has also published guidance on environmental claims. In the European Union, rules on environmental claims are being tightened as well, which matters particularly for businesses that export or host international guests.

Corporate clients may also use the environmental information they receive from suppliers in their own reports. An unsupported claim can therefore affect not only your reputation, but your business partner's too.

How Do You Build Sound Sustainability Communication, Step by Step?

Sound sustainability communication follows a simple order: collect the data first, write the claim based on that data, and publish last. When the order is reversed, choosing the slogan first and then looking for evidence to fit it, the risk of greenwashing appears.

1. Make an inventory of your current claims

Gather every environmental statement your business makes externally into a single list. Website copy, brochures, packaging, social media posts and proposal documents should all be included. Seeing which statement appears where, and who wrote it, makes the following steps easier.

2. Match each claim with evidence

Next to each statement, note the document that supports it: a measurement result, an invoice, a certificate, a waste declaration or energy consumption data, for example. A statement with no evidence should either be removed or narrowed down to what can actually be supported.

3. Make general statements specific

Instead of saying “eco-friendly business”, explain what has changed and to what extent. For example, “we separate packaging waste at source at our facility and hand it over to licensed companies” is both clearer and verifiable. Do not generalise a feature that applies to only one part of a product to the whole product.

4. State the scope and limits clearly

If a claim applies only to a specific facility, product group or period, say so. In calculations such as a carbon footprint, showing which activities are included and which are not builds trust.

5. Present future targets alongside a plan

Future targets such as “we will become carbon neutral” should not be used on their own unless they rest on a plan with interim steps and named responsibilities. When you share a target, also explain where you are today and what steps you have taken.

6. Approve before publishing and review regularly

Make it a rule that any text containing environmental claims is approved not only by the marketing team but also by the person responsible for environment or quality. As circumstances change, for instance when a certificate expires, the texts should be updated too.

Pre-Publication Checklist

Before publishing an environmental claim, you should be able to answer each of the following questions with confidence:

• Is the claim based on measured or documented data?

• Is the supporting document on file and can it be shared on request?

• Is the statement specific, or does it rely on vague words such as “green”, “natural” or “eco” on their own?

• Is the scope of the claim (product, facility, period) stated in the text?

• Is a practice that is already legally required being presented as an achievement unique to the business?

• Does the logo or label used belong to a certificate the business actually holds and that is still valid?

• If a comparison is made (“less water”, “less waste”), is it clear what it is being compared with?

• Are future targets measurable and linked to an action plan?

• Do the visuals (green leaves, nature photos) create a stronger impression than the claim in the text?

• Who approved the text, and when will it next be reviewed?

Common Mistakes and Points to Watch

A common mistake is using well-meant but vague wording without looking for evidence. Phrases such as “respectful of nature” or “completely green” promise the reader a great deal, yet the business may not be able to back them up with a document.

Another mistake is presenting legal obligations as a distinction. Collecting waste separately, submitting waste declarations through UÇBS (Ulusal Çevre Bilgi Sistemi, the National Environmental Information System) or holding the required environmental permit is already mandatory for businesses within scope. Mentioning these is not wrong, but presenting them as a practice that sets you apart in the sector can be misleading.

Selective disclosure is also risky. Highlighting a single positive step while never mentioning activities with a larger environmental impact gives the reader an incomplete picture. Similarly, continuing to use the logo of an expired certificate, or naming a certificate that has not yet been obtained, is a situation that comes up often.

Finally, leaving sustainability copy solely to an agency or solely to the marketing team is not the right approach. The environmental officer or quality manager who owns the technical data should always be involved in the process.

Notes for Businesses in Antalya

In Antalya, the risk of greenwashing particularly concerns tourism businesses, because hotels, tour operators and international booking platforms may request sustainability information. Towel and linen reuse cards, “green hotel” descriptions and energy-saving statements build trust when they are backed by data; when they are not, they may be questioned in guest reviews.

In agriculture and food, terms such as “natural”, “additive-free” or “environmentally friendly production” should be supported by records showing the conditions under which the product was made. For greenhouse growers and export-oriented businesses, giving consistent answers to buyers' requests for environmental information is especially important.

For industrial and construction companies, environmental statements in tender and proposal documents come to the fore. Management system certificates, waste management records and carbon footprint calculations form the basis for these statements. With COP31 being held in Antalya, interest in sustainability communication among local businesses may also grow.

Credible communication requires the strategy and the data to be in place first. We build this framework with your business as part of our sustainability consultancy service and review your existing texts against that data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are greenwashing and yeşil aklama the same thing?

Yes. Greenwashing is an English term, and yeşil aklama is the term used in Turkish. Both refer to claims that present a business's environmental performance as better than it really is.

Can a small business face greenwashing risk too?

Yes, the risk does not depend on the size of the business. Any business that uses an environmental claim on its website, packaging or social media is responsible for that claim being accurate and provable. For small businesses, the practical approach is not to use unsupported statements in the first place.

Should I avoid the term “eco-friendly” altogether?

It is advisable not to use it on its own. It becomes meaningful when used together with specific information explaining what exactly is eco-friendly and a document that supports it. Describing the actual practice is safer than using a general adjective.

Who should check our sustainability claims?

The technical accuracy of claims should be checked by the environmental or quality manager who owns the data. The marketing team can refine the wording, but final approval should rest with the person who knows the evidence. An independent outside view also helps spot vague statements that may have been missed.

Contact Us

If you want your sustainability communication to be evidence-based and trustworthy, get in touch with us to review your existing texts together.

Written by Uğraş Taylan Sevinç, Environmental Engineer, Asel Çevre Danışmanlık.