The world of marine cleaning is filled with brands that proudly label their products as “environmentally friendly,” “all natural,” and “biodegradable.” That’s great, right? We want to keep our waterways clean, to protect marine life, and to be responsible boaters. But what do those terms really mean? Who's in charge of making sure these claims are true?
Well, it’s complicated! First, we should examine the phenomenon of “greenwashing” to better understand how claims like these are allowed to exist on the market and how they mislead consumers worldwide.
What is Greenwashing?
“Greenwashing” is a term used to describe the false or unsubstantiated claims that companies make regarding the sustainability of their products. These statements are either entirely false or are intentionally misleading, tricking consumers into believing they're buying earth-friendly products or services. While greenwashing can be unintentional when there's a genuine lack of crucial product knowledge, it's usually a deliberate marketing strategy.
Greenwashing has become more common as global attention shifts toward sustainability. As a result, some regulatory bodies and other government agencies now require ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting for their products and services.
With a keen eye, you can see greenwashing in almost every industry—green logos and vague slogans or verbiage are everywhere. Here are a few things to look out for when you’re trying to buy truly eco-friendly products:
- Does the company provide proof for eco-friendly claims?
- Is the company transparent or open about its products?
- Does the company emphasize its green claims without showing consistent eco-conscious choices?
- Does the company present fabricated statements as facts?
How does this happen in the marine cleaning industry? The EPA (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) exists to ensure that commercial marine cleaning products meet specific standards. However, there isn’t as much regulation for private-use products, and many brands can make claims that are technically at least somewhat true yet still misleading. For example, many marine cleaning products claim to be biodegradable. But there's a problem: nearly everything can be considered biodegradable, even though it may take tens of thousands of years to biodegrade. Most things are inherently biodegradable, while others are readily biodegradable and break down within hours (as opposed to millennia).
The DiTEC Difference
DiTEC Marine Cleaning has an advantage over the competition. We saw false claims or ineffective “green” products that used decades-old chemistry and came up with a solution using cutting-edge chemistry instead. DiTEC not only meets but exceeds the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) standards for commercial marine cleaning products. We are fully compliant with the standards of MARPOL Annex III, MARPOL Annex V, EPA NPDES, and EU REACH. When used as directed, our DiTEC Marine products are not harmful to the marine environment and can be discharged overboard with wash water.
Other marine cleaning companies may also offer environmentally friendly products, but DiTEC is one of the few (if not the only) companies that can claim full compliance with the highest standards across our entire range of cleaning products for private use.
While it can be overwhelming to try to spot every unsubstantiated claim and fabricated statement—and it can certainly be disappointing to learn that some of your favorite companies have been less than transparent—rest assured that there are companies out there who jump through hurdles to ensure that their products are truly green! DiTEC is one of those companies and is the leader in the marine cleaning industry for transparency and compliance with the highest of standards. Take a look at the chart below for more information on our products compared with competitors like Starbrite and 303.
