vihreällepesulta

Vihreällepesulta is a term used in Finnish-language environmental discourse to describe the practice of presenting products, services, or policies as environmentally friendly when the claims are not substantiated or are exaggerated.

The term is formed from vihreä ('green') and pesu ('washing'), with the suffix -lta to create a noun for the act; it mirrors the English word greenwashing and is used to discuss rhetoric and branding practices rather than actual environmental performance.

The term appears in media commentary, NGO reports, academic articles, and public debates about corporate sustainability. It is applied to advertising, product labeling, corporate messaging, and public procurement where environmental claims are central to persuasion.

Indicators commonly associated with vihreällepesulta include vague or broad claims (for example, 'eco-friendly') without definition, emphasis on a minor benefit while ignoring larger negative impacts, use of green imagery, selective disclosure, and lack of third-party verification or lifecycle analysis.

Regulators in the European Union and Finland have urged substantiation of environmental claims and pursued cases of misleading green claims under consumer protection and competition law. Critics argue that the term helps hold actors accountable, but it can be misused to label legitimate improvements.

Related concepts include greenwashing, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and consumer protection.