Avoid “Greenwashing”

Posted on May 23, 2009 in Consumer Goods, Technology, The Environment

Going green isn’t just a way of life: it’s a marketing strategy that often misleads customers, according to a news survey that examined a wide range of consumer products. The company that conducted the survey, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, chose not to disclose the deceptive products in the hopes that the unnamed would clean up their act.

Many companies have exaggerated or failed to document environmental claims in an attempt to deceive or “greenwash” the market. “As consumers get more and more interested in buying green, a lot of people have just started calling everything green,” said Scot Case, one of the study’s authors.

The survey, released under the title “The Seven Sins of Greenwashing” provides a list of ways that claims and product labels can confuse customers. Many companies failed to disclose environmentally damaging parts of the manufacturing process, such as greenhouse gases emitted in the manufacturing of paper. Vague language that promises “biodegradable” or “natural” products may not be telling the whole story, the survey cautions.

Deceptive environmental claims were found across the board, but were most common in baby toys and products, cosmetics and cleaning products.

Curious about which of your favorite product brands may be keeping you in the dark? The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at http://www.safecosmetics.org/ provides a breakdown of product ingredients and the latest advancements in federal legislation on cosmetics.