The tendency for marketing to grab hold of current trends continues and as always, let the buyer beware.
Many 'green' claims may be shady
Survey suggests consumers should take a hard look at eco-friendly credentials.
By Darrell Smith - dvsmith@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Friday, November 23, 2007
Products from air fresheners to toothpastes lure consumers with promises of eco-friendly ingredients, but can they back up their boasts?
A new survey suggests that many companies' green claims are as authentic as a $20 Gucci handbag at a flea market.
Virtually all – 99 percent – of more than 1,000 products plucked from supermarkets and box stores falsely claimed green credentials, according to "The Six Sins of Greenwashing," a survey by Pennsylvania-based environmental marketing firm TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc.
Neither the products nor their manufacturers were identified, but products ranged from deodorant to oven cleaner.
"Consumers are inundated with products that make green claims. Some are accurate, while others are just plain fibbing to sell products," said Scott McDougall, president of TerraChoice, in a prepared statement, adding that the goal is to educate consumers so "they can buy green with confidence."
Consumers should look for:
The Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: Nearly 1,000 of 1,018 products suggest a product is better merely because it contains a so-called green ingredient – recycled paper, for instance – but fail to mention that the product contains a hazardous material.
The Sin of No Proof: A quarter of the products claimed to be "organic" but with no verifiable certification.
The Sin of Vagueness: Eleven percent of products claimed to be 100 percent natural, but that alone does not mean a product is "eco-friendly" since many naturally occurring substances are hazardous.
The Sin of Irrelevance: In labeling on 78 products, manufacturers patted themselves on the back for leaving out hazardous ingredients that were banned by law.
The Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils: Researchers singled out makers of organic cigarettes and environmentally friendly pesticides because their products pose a hazard but are marketed as a healthy alternative. Seventeen products fell into this category.
The Sin of Fibbing: About 10 manufacturers falsely claimed that they met a recognized environmental standard but did not.
