To assess an environmental claim, find the exact claim, check the figures against the evidence, and name what is missing. This skill appears in case questions where a firm advertises a green product or a change in packaging, and the question asks you to evaluate it.
It is part of the module on technology, quality and sustainability and works alongside the earlier lesson on explaining a technology change.
What counts as evidence?
Evidence is something that can be checked. A measurement, a comparison with a stated starting point, or an independent test all count. A general slogan does not.
Ask four questions of any claim:
- What exactly is claimed? “Less plastic” is checkable. “Good for the planet” is not.
- What is the comparison? Less than what? The old pack, a competitor, or nothing stated?
- Who measured it? The firm itself, or an independent body?
- What is left out? Other materials, transport, disposal and cost.
How do you write the assessment?
- Quote the claim in your own words.
- Test the figures. Recalculate any percentage from the raw numbers.
- Say what is supported and what is overstated.
- Name the missing evidence, such as whether the new material can be recycled where the customer lives.
- Give a judgement with a reason, and mention the cost to the firm or customer if the case does.
Worked example
Bakul Hijau Sdn Bhd in Ipoh sells vegetable boxes. Its advertisement says: “Our new box uses 25% less plastic.”
The case notes that the old box used 80 g of plastic and the new box uses 62 g. The new box also has a 15 g paper sleeve.
The new box costs RM2.20 to make and the old one cost RM2.00.
Step 1, test the percentage: the reduction is 80 − 62 = 18 g. As a percentage of the old box, 18 ÷ 80 = 0.225, which is 22.5%.
Step 2, compare with the claim: 22.5% is lower than 25%, so the claim is slightly overstated. A 25% cut would need 80 × 0.75 = 60 g.
Step 3, what is supported: plastic did fall, by 18 g per box.
Step 4, what is missing: the 15 g paper sleeve is new material. The case does not say whether the sleeve is recycled paper or whether the plastic can be recycled locally.
Step 5, cost: the extra cost is 2.20 − 2.00 = RM0.20, which is 0.20 ÷ 2.00 = 10% more per box.
Step 6, judgement: the claim is partly supported but overstated and incomplete. The firm would be on firmer ground saying “about 22% less plastic” and publishing how it measured the boxes.
The mistake to watch for
A common slip is to accept or reject a claim without looking at the numbers.
Mistaken answer: “The firm says 25% less plastic, so the box is clearly better for the environment.”
This repeats the claim as if it were a fact. It never checks the figures, and “better overall” depends on more than plastic weight.
The opposite slip is just as weak: “Companies always exaggerate, so ignore it.” The correction is to recalculate, state what holds, and state what is not shown.
Check yourself
Try these on paper, then open each answer.
1. A firm claims its new pack uses “a third less plastic”. The old pack used 30 g and the new pack uses 21 g. Is the claim accurate?
Show answer
Reduction: 30 − 21 = 9 g. 9 ÷ 30 = 0.30, which is 30%. A third is 33.3%, so the claim is slightly overstated, though plastic did fall.
2. Which is stronger evidence: a statement in the firm’s own advertisement, or a measurement by an independent testing body? Give a reason.
Show answer
The independent measurement is stronger, because it is less likely to be shaped by the firm’s wish to sell. The firm’s statement can still be useful if it gives figures you can check.
3. A greener pack costs RM0.45 against RM0.40 for the old pack. By what percentage does the cost rise?
Show answer
Rise: 0.45 − 0.40 = RM0.05. 0.05 ÷ 0.40 = 0.125, so the cost rises by 12.5%.
Where this leads next
Next, bring technology, quality and green choices together in comparing operational trade-offs without fake statistics. The mixed practice set then tests all five lessons. The ratios tool is useful for percentage changes and for seeing what a ratio cannot tell you.
Students often calculate correctly but forget to say what the evidence leaves out. Our teachers work on this kind of balance in online one-to-one Business tuition.