How ‘COVID-Washing’ Became The New Greenwashing

An onset of consumer goods that feed off the fear of coronavirus reveals a disheartening reality: There’s no better time for capitalism to shine than during a pandemic. From dietary supplements to juices to pants (yes, pants) and bedsheets, brands are employing a cruel kind of marketing to sell their products. The strategy, unique to the year 2020, might be dubbed “COVID-washing.” Like greenwashing before it, where companies convey misleading information that their products are sustainable, COVID-washing draws in consumers by conveying the false impression that a certain product can cure or repel COVID-19. There’s a range within which brands can implement COVID-washing, from explicitly advertising an antiviral power to associating with the concept of “immunity boosting.” Read more at Fast Company.