Práticas de Greenwashing na área de cosméticos da rede supermercadista do município de Pombal-PB.

Abstract

In the face of successive environmental crises, consumers are more alert to the choices made by so-called sustainable products to minimize negative impacts on the environment. From this, companies have invested heavily in green marketing. Aiming to conquer this market space, but it happens that some companies omit these impacts and present information without any foundation, thus practicing greenwashing. Based on this, this research aimed to identify the greenwashing practices used by cosmetic products in the supermarket chain in the city of Pombal - PB. The study consisted of an exploratory and descriptive field research and the data collection tool was used through an investigation report containing 8 questions based on the seven sins of greenwashing. The results obtained by the research show that, in a sample of 25 products, the presence in 9 products was found, accounting for 15 sins, totaling an average of 1.9 product appeal. Regarding the incidence of greenwashing sins, three sins were found: uncertainty leading with 47% of appeals, sin of lack of proof with a 41% index and lastly the sin of the environmental cost camouflaged with 12%. Greenwashing therefore manifests itself in many ways mainly by false seals and untruthful statements that induce the consumer, as many companies use this practice to make unwarranted assertions of sustainability to increase business. The research has as tool, an investigation report composed of 8 questions based on the seven sins related to the practice of greenwash. After the application of the questonary, it was verified that in a sample of 25 products, the presence of 9 products was found accounting for 15 sins, to result in an average of 1.7 appeals per product. Regarding the incidence of greenwashing sins, three sins were found: uncertainty leading with 47% of appeals, sin of lack of proof with a 40% index and lastly the sin of the environmental cost camouflaged with 13%. Thus it is concluded that the practice of greenwashing manifests itself in a variety of ways, mainly through the use of false seals and untrue statements by companies that induce the consumer to believe that these products are in fact ecological and consume them, aiming in this way, to obtain a consecutive increase of their businesses.