We’ve all heard of greenwashing, but have you heard of green hushing? A trend known as green hushing is growing as companies increasingly choose to hide details of their climate targets typically due to a fear of regulations or being called out by climate activists.
What is Green Hushing?
Janene Hawkins, Founder of Heavenly Hair hopes that green hushing won’t become an issue but fears that it could: “The road to recovery since covid has been long for some salons, and many still feel like they’re dancing on eggs shells. The fear of bad publicity for greenwashing (even when you’re not) can be very real, but the best way to combat it, as with everything in our industry, is knowledge. As an industry, we need to be open about being green so others will follow.”
The positive effect of raising awareness of sustainability has meant that major brands in our industry are now producing and promoting sustainable products. Keith believes that the right amount of market and regulatory pressure is likely to encourage a shift from greenwashing to genuine action, however green hushing could be seen as an unintended consequence of the campaign against greenwashing. “It is a real shame if businesses feel they can’t talk about the steps they are taking to tackle climate change and the nature crises because they aren’t 100% sustainable yet. But no business is or can be. It’s a journey and if a company has only recently got on board they should be encouraged rather than criticised. My hope is that hair and beauty manufacturers, as well as salon owners and hairdressers, will continue to talk freely about the importance of sustainability. What businesses can do to save the planet is too important a topic to be brushed under the carpet.”
Find out more about how to make your shop eco friendly here.