Companies who want to market their products as being good for
the environment will need to back up their claims more carefully,
in light of the Federal Trade Commission's new environmental
marketing guidelines, released this week. The "Guides
for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims," or Green Guides, updated for the first time since
1998, discourage companies from using broad claims like
"green," "eco-friendly", or
"environmentally preferable" that are difficult, if not
impossible, to substantiate. Although the guidelines are
not formal rules, they do specify how FTC will enforce
US marketing laws.
Instead, environmental claims should be clear, prominent, and
specific -- and be supported by scientific evidence. For
instance, the Green Guides caution that a claim of
"biodegradable" would be deceptive if the product did not
completely decompose within one year after customary disposal --
even if "customary disposal" does not allow an
opportunity for
