With more pressure on companies over environmental issues, it's no surprise that complaints about greenwashing are up. A report released by Britain's Advertising Standards Authority found that complaints about greenwashing rose nearly 480 per cent in one year.

Worst offenders included Shell, which ran an ad showing industrial chimneys emitting flowers instead of smoke, ryanair which made the dubious claim that aviation accounts for just 2 per cent of emissions and Lexus which claimed its cars caused little or no harm to the environment.

What are the tell-tale signs of greenwash? Look out for suggestive pictures (like shell's flowers), too much jargon, fluffy and meaningless language, over-emphasizing green products when the company itself still pollutes, making claims without any proof and downright lies.