Are Brands in Malaysia Getting Away by Just Ticking the Sustainability Box?
Walk into any Malaysian hypermarket today and you’ll be greeted with a sea of “eco-friendly” labels, “green” claims, and packaging that screams sustainability.
From shampoo bottles made with “30% less plastic” to biscuits packed in recycled-looking cardboard, everyone wants a slice of the environmental halo.
Even my favourite Madras Café outlet tries hard by packing takeaway piping hot vadai in a recycled brown paper bag but fail miserably by adding the coconut chutney in a plastic bag!
But scratch the surface, and you’ll find something far murkier beneath that shade of green.
Welcome to the theatre of greenwashing — where branding masquerades as environmentalism, and marketing departments are dressing up half-measures as heroic acts of planetary salvation.
Planting a Tree, Then Printing a Brochure About It
Let’s be honest.
Many brands in Malaysia are not going green — they’re going green adjacent.
They run campaigns about tree planting yet continue using single-use plastics.
They boast “sustainable sourcing” but won’t disclose a single line of their supply chain.
Some have even turned ESG reports into glossy PR tools rather than accountability documents.
It’s environmental virtue-signalling at its finest.
We see telcos running “Go Paperless” drives while pushing out weekly printed flyers.
Banks that claim to care for the planet but still finance coal projects.
Fast food chains swapping straws for paper ones but wrapping every burger in enough packaging to bury Bukit Bintang.
The Malaysian Consumer Is Not That Gullible Anymore
Malaysian consumers are catching on.
A recent Nielsen study showed that over 60% of urban Malaysian consumers now actively seek sustainable products but they also admit they don’t fully trust brand claims without proof.
Why? Because too many brands have cried green.
Without third-party verification, lifecycle assessments, or clear goals with deadlines, most “eco” labels might as well say “Trust me, bro.”
In a world of green fatigue, consumers are demanding action over aesthetics.
And rightfully so.
Greenwashing is Risky Business — Not Just Ethically, but Legally
Globally, regulators are cracking down.
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has banned several misleading green ads.
The EU is rolling out rules that could fine companies for making vague or unsubstantiated environmental claims.
In Malaysia, we’re slowly but surely catching up.
The Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) has signalled clear intent to address deceptive sustainability claims.
But enforcement is still light, and many brands are happy to toe the fuzzy line until they’re called out.
The risk isn’t just reputational, it’s commercial.
Gen Z and millennial Malaysians, who make up a bulk of social media discourse and brand sentiment, are quick to name and shame.
Just one viral tweet accusing a brand of “green hypocrisy” can undo years of carefully curated marketing.
What Should Brands Do Instead?
It’s simple: stop performing, start transforming.
Be Specific: Don’t say “eco-friendly.” Say “100% recycled PET bottles” and back it up with audits.
Be Transparent: Publish progress reports, even if you’re only halfway there. Honesty earns respect.
Be Humble: Acknowledge the journey. Sustainability isn’t a badge, it’s a process.
Be Consistent: Don’t talk green in your ads and burn brown in your operations.
And most of all, treat sustainability not as a campaign, but as a company value — embedded in procurement, product design, logistics, HR policies, and even boardroom decisions.
Malaysia Deserves Better from Its Brands
We’re a nation blessed with rich biodiversity, natural rainforests, and communities deeply connected to nature.
Yet, some of our most visible corporations are content with surface-level virtue and eco-aesthetics.
Enough with the leafy logos and generic taglines.
The planet doesn’t need another marketing gimmick.
It needs brands that are willing to walk the talk, not just watermark the packaging.
At the end of the day, a greenwashed brand isn’t just fooling consumers.
It’s fooling itself into believing that perception can replace purpose.
In today’s hyper-aware, hyper-sceptical market, that’s a very expensive illusion.
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