FTC toughens green marketing guidelines

To avoid deceptive claims, the federal government released tougher standards Monday for marketing products as green, warning companies not to use broad terms such as “eco friendly” without providing specifics and proof. The Federal Trade Commission’s new Green Guides say marketers need to substantiate product claims. For example, they can’t say a product is “degradable” unless they can prove that it will entirely break down and return to nature within a year after disposal.The guides, first issued 20 years ago and last updated in 1998,

clarify what qualifies as “recyclable,” “recycled content” and “compostable” and, for the first time, other terms including “carbon offsets”, “non-toxic” and “renewable energy.” They say marketers shouldn’t use environmental certifications or seals that don’t clearly convey the basis for the certification.
“They’re going to bring substantial change to the marketplace,” FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz told reporters during a news conference. “Most marketers are honest,” but some claims are misleading, he said. “What they need is a little more clarity.” The revisions, first proposed in October 2010, come as the number of products touting environmental virtues has proliferated. So, too, have complaints about greenwashing, or false advertising.

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