Eco Uh-Oh: Greenwashing Comes Under Scrutiny

According to the latest study by TerraChoice, the vast majority of brands — 95% of consumer products surveyed by the environmental marketing firm — commit some form of “greenwashing.” 

Defined as unproven environmental claims, the firm's 2010 Sins of Greenwashing report cited unsubstantiated claims of being BPA- and phthalates-free, critical factors to consumers choosing baby and toy products. Overall, the most common examples of ‘outright fibbing’ are bogus claims of compliance with the U.S. federal government's Energy Star program.

The third such study by TerraChoice assessed 5,000 consumer products from 34 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Of the resulting 12,061 "green" claims, in addition to the Energy Star fudging, the survey found (per the Wall Street Journal's report on the study), “vague or poorly defined marketing language, such as 'all-natural,' and the use of fake labels designed to imply a product has third-party certification or endorsement of its claims.”Continue reading...