So what's this 'greenfraud' thing about?
Greenfraud is broadly defined as the falsification of environmental claims made by a company in the interests of marketing. It is also referred to as greenwashing. This means that a company might spend a lot of money to make themselves look green, rather than actually doing anything to back it up or substantiate those claims. Greenfraud is a very harmful activity, as it means nothing is actually being done to help the environment even though a ton of money has been spent on it. Those companies who are trying to be green get beaten out by those who aren't, but have a better marketing director. The 6 sins of greenwashing are the most common examples of the categories of covering up environmental damage with green colours, or by looking better than you really are.
Of the six categories of greenwashing, or greenfraud, the idea of a hidden trade off is the most common sin committed by corporations. A company might be pushing the idea of a super efficient electronic product, and while this is true they conveniently forget the part where the components of the electronics are full of heavy metals, or other environmentally harmful chemicals. The manufacturing process may be dirty or the product has a reduced lifespan because the components are lighter weight and give out sooner, causing the product to be thrown away that much quicker. One way to combat this is to consider the entire product lifespan when it is manufactured, giving a holistic view of the process. Some manufactures are now planning products that use recycled or non toxic, easily biodegradable parts, and which plan for either the ease of recycle or the eventual dumping of their product at the end of the life cycle. It is easier to recycle products that use fewer materials, or the same material.