SWR Concerns: The Business of Sustainability

Who Profits from Our Guilty Conscience

SWR, 2021, 45 minutes

We want so much to get everything right. We always have the feeling that we could do more. Use less plastic, or at least the right plastic. Shop more consciously. This longing makes us grateful victims of greenwashing of all kinds.

Whether it's beverage packaging made from composite cartons, sportswear made from marine plastic or so-called organic plastic. More and more manufacturers advertise supposedly sustainable products – but on closer inspection, many turn out to be deceptive packaging and label fraud. Greenwashing products is a problem because they ease the conscience without doing any good for the environment: Avoiding waste would be much more sensible – but less consumption also means less turnover and profit... All those who somehow want to convince us that we can cheat our way through with supposedly innovative solutions, in reality only want to sell us their product. And increase their profits, with our guilty conscience. For SWR: Concerns, we go in search of clues and expose eco-tricksters and sustainability lies.