THE GREENWASHING – GREENHUSHING SANDWICH EFFECT IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY PROJECTS

 


Larisa IVAȘCU1, Nicoleta MIREA2, Mihaela BORAN3, Neta ȘAPTEBANI4, Victoria COCIOTĂ5

Abstract. To describe the communication tension between the risk of over-communicating insufficiently verified environmental results and the risk of under-communicating authentic data, the article proposes the concept of the Greenwashing-Greenhushing Sandwich Effect. These activities happen within the framework of collaboration and the industrial symbiosis that can be achieved. A conceptual framework is developed on three layers: the fear of greenwashing, proportionate and verifiable communication and greenhushing, which is applied to circular projects with plausible environmental benefits, but difficult to measure and verify in the short term. An exploratory tool for managerial self-assessment is proposed. The contribution is conceptual. As future research direction empirical validation of the framework and the tool is proposed.

Keywords: Greenwashing, greenhushing, industrial symbiosis, proportionate and verifiable communication, circular economy project, diagnostic tool

DOI 10.56082/annalsarscieng.2026.2.30

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1Prof., Ph.D., Eng., Faculty of Management in Production and Transportation, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Management Department, 14 Remus Street, Timisoara, Romania, (larisa.ivascu@upt.ro); Academy of Romanian Scientists, 3 Ilfov, 050044, Bucharest, Romania.

2Ph.D., Research Center for Engineering and Management, Politehnica University of Timisoara, 14 Remus Street, Timisoara, Romania, (nicoleta.mirea@student.upt.ro).

3Lecturer Ph.D., Faculty of Management in Production and Transportation, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Management Department, 14 Remus Street, Timisoara, Romania (mihaela.boran@upt.ro).

4Ph.D., Faculty of Management in Production and Transportation, Research Center for Engineering and Management, Politehnica University of Timisoara, 14 Remus Street, Timisoara, Romania, (neta-ionelia.saptebani@student.upt.ro).

5Expert communication, Politehnica University of Timisoara, 2 Victoriei Square, Timisoara, Romania, (victoria.cociota@upt.ro).

PUBLISHED in

Annals Academy of Romanian Scientists Series on Engineering Sciences

Volume 18 no 2, 2026


ISSN PRINT 2066 – 6950

ISSN ONLINE 2066 – 8570