FTC Revises "Green Guides"

If You Make Any Environmental Claims About Or Use Certification Marks on Products or for Services...The FTC has News for You.

On October 1, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission issued its revised Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, known as the "Green Guides." The purpose of the Guides is to help marketers avoid making environmental marketing claims that may be perceived as deceptive or unfair under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The Guides do not confer any rights on any person and they do not bind the FTC or the public. The FTC does have the right to take action under the FTC Act if an environmental claim is made that is inconsistent with the Guides. They do not preempt federal, state, or local laws, and compliance with those laws does not preclude an action by the FTC. As stated therein, the Guides apply to "claims about the environmental attributes of a product, package, or service in connection with the marketing, offering for sale, or sale of such