New study finds misleading green claims in 99% of products surveyed
You’ve read the claims, seen the testimonials and probably bought the product. But, are you ever suspicious of eco-friendly marketing claims? You should be.
A study by TerraChoice Environ-mental Marketing saw a general lack of trustworthiness for “green” claims in the marketplace. Stewart McDougall of TerraChoice says, “the survey of environmental claims of over 1000 products found virtually all of them were either false or misleading.”
The report says that 57% of the tested products from big-box retailers relied on a hidden tradeoff, suggesting a product is “green” on the basis of a single attribute.
The environmental shortcomings were so prevalent that TerraChoice separated them into six categories – or the “Six Sins of Greenwashing.”
1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: e.g. “Energy-efficient” electronics that contain hazardous materials. 57% of all environmental claims committed this Sin.
2. Sin of No Proof: e.g. Shampoos claiming to be “certified organic,” but with no verifiable certification. 454 products and 26% of environmental claims committed this Sin.
3. Sin of Vagueness: e.g. Products claiming to be 100% natural when many naturally occurring substances are hazardous, like arsenic and formaldehyde, seen in 196 products or 11% of environmental claims.
4. Sin of Irrelevance: e.g. Products claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago. This Sin was seen in 78 products and 4% of environmental claims.
5. Sin of Fibbing: e.g. Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognized environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal, found in 10 products or less than 1% of environmental claims.
6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils: e.g. Organic cigarettes or a hybrid-yet-inefficient SUV. This occurred in 17 products or 1% of environmental claims.
“Consumers are inundated with products that make green claims,” says McDougall. “Some are accurate, certified and verifiable, while others are just plain fibbing to sell products.” If you suspect you’re being “green-washed” check out www.terrachoice.com.
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