A 17-year-old sixth former challenged the fraudulent 'greenwashing' claims of brands in an A-level art project.
Reuben Meller, a student at Wood Green School in Witney, used a fake Instagram account to demonstrate how some companies deceive the public into thinking that they are environmentally friendly.
Reuben's A-level Art EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) required him to write an extended essay on a topic of interest.
As the son of artist Aidan Meller, the brains behind Ai-Da, the world's first ultra-realistic artist robot, he went for a bold project.
He used Instagram to show how easy it is for companies to post fake claims on their social media platforms.
The Instagram account claimed to be an environmental conservationist organisation specialising in tree growth.
He put up several posts suggesting the organisation had planted 250,000 trees in three years.
The lies from the posts were readily accepted by over 2,000 users.
On one occasion a climate activist with over 30,000 followers re-shared one of the posts.
Reuben said he feels closely aligned with Extinction Rebellion, which has a strong base in Oxford.
He said: “I want to do more that shows real change, we don’t need to make up lies.”
In the last few years some of the world’s largest brands, including Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, have been subject to greenwashing accusations.
After being named one of Britain’s least sustainable fashion brands by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) in 2019, fast fashion brand Boohoo has come under fire for greenwashing.
The brand announced a new sustainability ambassador, Kourtney Kardashian, but faced criticism for the reality star’s lack of qualifications.
Reuben concluded from his campaign that “the difference between greenwashing and fraud was minimal. People reacted the same even when a fraudulent claim was being made.
"People couldn’t tell the difference, even when it was obvious."
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He said he found his findings unsettling.
“It is deeply terrifying to think that my artworks show how companies can manipulate customers without a penalty, by over exaggerating their claims… while behind the curtains, the governments…are still refusing to take any drastic climate action," he said.
He supports Greta Thunberg’s claims that the trend for 'ethical' fast fashion is simply “pure greenwashing” and has vowed to take a stance against something he believes to be fraudulent.
The student, who studies Art, Business, and History at A-Level, now plans to continue to follow in Thunberg’s footsteps by protesting greenwashing - and planting real trees...
Reuben’s efforts to challenge greenwashing can still be seen on his fake Instagram account: @reuben_oak.
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