Greenwashing is a phrase used in advertising to describe initiatives taken by organizations to preserve the environment, this they do to improve their public image. The term is in use since 1960s but became famous in 1990s when environmental awareness became a movement across the world. Organizations struggle to get public attention and customer’s mind share; pretending to be environment friendly is one such attention seeking measure.

One of the huge corporations Royal Dutch Shell has been frequently accused and penalised for its greenwashing campaigns. It’s most famous ad campaign -“Don’t throw anything away- there is no away” highlights the claim of growing flora and fauna out of CO2 emissions but it was found to be misleading and heavily criticized. In January 2017, a UK High Court ruled out a claim against Dutch Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary’s oil spill in which two Niger Delta communities were shattered completely. The Court’s order clearly showcased robbing of justice and allowing the UK multinational to commit abuses overseas with impunity. Law is indeed blind.

Another example is of General Motors; it wanted to promote its production and development of fuel-efficient vehicles. In 2007, General Motors launched its “Gas-Friendly to Gas-Free” campaign, attempting to reframe the company as environmentally progressive. Regardless of its effort, General Motors continued to be the leading producer of gas-guzzler automobiles. The campaign highlighted its ways of greening the automobile industry: increasing fuel efficiency, producing vehicles that can run on E85 ethanol, developing hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel cells. The pretence went on while still heavily producing gas-guzzling vehicles.

Greenwashing is a spin of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in declaring itself to promoting environmentally friendly policies whereas in reality, the company does not live up to the commitment. Companies keep making unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of its products, services, technology and strategic practices. It’s in fact an eye wash.

In 2013, Revlon campaigned for breast cancer awareness and raising funds for patients of breast cancer. During the campaign, it got accused of using chemicals linked to cancer in its cosmetics; the company called the charges “false and defamatory.” But, later, Revlon went on to publish its ingredients policy and was declared as one of the environmental friendly working groups. The company reformulated some products to eliminate certain chemicals of concern; long-chain parabens and DMDM Hydantoin and Quaternium-15, which release tiny amounts of formaldehyde. Revlon later communicated that they their campaign of breast cancer was genuine and eliminating the harmful chemicals from the production process was well under way before it began talking about the Breast Cancer Fund.

Today, when people are well informed about side effects products and services due to social media impact, the transparency matters. In fact transparency is the foundation of Corporate Governance.

In 2013, Asia Pulp & Paper committed to halt deforestation under its Forest Conservation Policy. Prior to this, APP and its pulpwood suppliers had a history of almost 30 years of deforestation, destruction of wildlife habitat, peat drainage and conflicts with local communities related to the acquisition of land for wood harvesting and pulpwood plantation development in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) announced its decision to suspend APP’s illegal activities in the forests; APP remains the first among a very small number of the most controversial companies in the world FSC has disassociated from. In August 2018, FSC gave an order to APP to align and put in place its corporate structure aligned with measures to put a full stop to its alleged unacceptable forest management activities including its suppliers.

Throughout the 1990s, Nike was targeted by labor activists and anti-globalization forces for allowing its suppliers in poor countries to abuse and exploit workers. In the beginning, Nike said it couldn’t be responsible for conditions in factories it didn’t own. Protests and media reports proliferated. In 1996, Life magazine published a story headlined “Six Cents an Hour” with a photo of a Pakistani boy sewing Nike soccer balls. Though it was slow in coming, Nike eventually set up an extensive and expensive system for monitoring and remedying factory conditions in its supply chain and the rest of the footwear and apparel industry followed in its footsteps.

In essence, greenwashing involves incorrectly conveying to consumers that a given product, service, company or institution cares for the environment. As consumers become more eco-conscious, organizations are buckling up numerous stories going greater lengths to present themselves as environmentally friendly. Some companies make inflated and absurd claims, others resort to blatant lies.

But, let’s understand that there is a growing concern about environmental safety worldwide. There are tools to safeguard the environment and a consensus is made on easing the production of environmentally-friendly products. To make the use of these tools more efficiently, companies have adopted corporate governance principles that are not only put into practice in the higher ranks of organisations, but are also spread among small and medium scale organizations and are closely monitored by government agencies. Workplace safety, correct work procedures, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control has become crucial.

Globalization has created cross border alliances paving way for more opportunities but it also has put stringent rules and regulations for human and environmental protection. Adding environmental management to their internal policies is a must for organizations. Companies must conform and endorse to legislation by investing more in clean technologies and merchandise that cause lowering pollution. Greenwashing is a temporary measure which might help organizations for a while, in long run, it just doesn’t work.

A banana leaf is filled with antioxidants named polyphenol which can fight serious illnesses, mainly cancer. When hot food is served on the banana leaf, we get the polyphenols from leaf in our food. Banana leaves are also used in some ayurvedic medicinal preparations. Serving food on banana leaf is a tradition in several south Indian states. Guests are given the top part of the leaf while family members are given the lower parts. Everybody sits together on the floor and eats with their hands.

Why should food be eaten with hand? Scientifically, eating is purely a sensory experience and it is said to evoke emotions and passion. According to the Vedas, hands are the most precious organs of action. The scriptures reveal how every finger is an extension of the five elements. Through the thumb comes space, with the forefinger comes air, the middle finger is fire, the ring finer is water and the little finger represents earth. Hence, eating with our fingers stimulates these five elements and helps in bringing forth digestive juices in the stomach. The nerve endings on our fingertips stimulate digestion. While eating with fingers, the nerves give signalling the stomach that you are about to eat. You become more conscious of the taste, temperature of food, the texture and aromas.

Banana leaves are large in size: The banana leaf is large in size, therefore, it accommodates variety of food preparations; rice, chapattis, meat, vegetables, lentils, curries and pickles. The leaves are basically waterproof; because of their waxy coating they can hold gravy preparations without getting soggy.

Food tastes good: They add aroma to food that is cooked in or served on them; when foods are steamed with banana leaves imparts a subtle sweet flavour and aroma to the dish. Banana leaves have a waxy coating that has a subtle and distinct flavour. When hot food is placed on the leaves, the edible wax melts and lends its flavour to the food, making it taste better.

Eco-friendly usage: After eating on the leaf, it can be easily discarded; they decompose in a very short time, unlike plastic, which takes hundreds of years to biodegrade.

Hygienic: Banana leaves van be cleaned easily; they just need to be rinsed with a little water and they are ready to use. If you are eating at a place where the hygiene standards are questionable, you are much better off eating from a banana leaf than from a plate that has not been cleansed suitably. Because of its anti-bacterial Ayurvedic properties, if any germs are present in the food, they get automatically killed, thereby reducing the chances of you falling sick.

Chemical-free: Most of us wash plates soap, liquid washing solutions and water, traces of the chemicals in the soap cannot be rinsed completely, which contaminates the food served in it. Whereas, banana leaves just need to be rinsed with a little water, and do not need to be washed with soap, so your food will be chemical-free.

Integral part of many cultures: The banana tree remains eternally green, thereby signifying endless generations. Banana leaves are therefore used by Hindus and Buddhists as a decorative element for auspicious functions, marriages, and ceremonies in southern India and Southeast India. Balinese Hindus prepare banana leaf as the container for floral offerings called canang dedicated for deities and gods. These floral offerings are placed in various places around the house.

In Indonesia, banana leaf is widely used in their cuisine called pepes and botok; the banana-leaf packets of food are steamed, boiled, or grilled on charcoal. Banana leaves are also used to wrap several kinds of snacks. In Java, banana leaf is also used as a shallow conical bowl called “pincuk”, usually to serve rujak, tumbuk, pecel.

In Malaysian and Singapore cuisine, banana leaves are used to wrap certain dishes called kuih and otak-otak. Malay foods such as nasi-lemak are also commonly wrapped with banana leaves before being wrapped with newspaper, as banana leaves add fragrance to the rice.

Banana leaves are the traditional method of serving food even in Philippine cuisine , with rice and other dishes laid out on large banana leaves similar to buffet  and everyone partaking using their bare hands. This is called Kamayan.

The Hawaiians use banana leaves in few of their dishes too. It’s used even in Caribbean, Central American and Mexican cuisines.

In Thailand, banana leaf is used to create an offering bowl called Krathong, it is an important element during traditional festival of Loy Krathong day. Thai people will celebrate this on the full-moon day of the twelfth lunar month. The celebration was meant to pay respect to the Mother of Water called Phra Mae Kong Kha by floating a krathong on a body of water. Other Asian countries also shares this similar festival such as; Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, India and China. Krathong means lotus-shaped vessel like a leave bowl made of banana leaves and flowers with joss sticks and a candle in the middle of it. This is how banana leaves are used and valued globally.