Ken dumps Barbie over her aid in deforestation

Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is the consumer expectation for companies to think about people and the planet when conducting business. Companies meet this expectation through cause marketing, aligning with a cause to generate business and social benefits, or offering environmentally-friendly products. Some companies make false claims about their environmentally-friendly products. This is called greenwashing.


TerraChoice, an environmental marketing and consulting firm, defines greenwashing as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

Mattel’s Claims

Mattel, a self-proclaimed leading innovator in the toy industry, claimed in 2011 that the packaging for its Barbie products was 100% recyclable. Mattel also claimed that it was working with Amazon to “eliminate unnecessary additional packaging” in its products. Mattel requires that all third party manufacturers it works with have environmental programs in place to minimize the impact they have on the environment. Mattel also requires third party manufacturers to certify that their paper products (like for packaging) meet standards by excluding or limiting hazardous chemicals.

These claims help Mattel meet its corporate social responsibility expectation, but it has committed one of TerraChoice’s seven sins. The Sin of the Hidden Trade Off is “suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other environmental issues.” None of Mattel’s packaging requirements state the brand must avoid trade with companies involved in deforestation.