Go and Greenwash No More

Green products largely guilty of greenwashing, says study

Posted at 2:46 PM on 20 Nov 2007

A study of 1,018 "green" products from big-box stores has found that all but one were marketed with false or misleading eco-claims. Researchers from TerraChoice Environmental Marketing called out products for committing the "Six Sins of Greenwashing": a hidden tradeoff (e.g., toxin-loaded electronics touting their energy efficiency); no certifiable verification of green claims; flat-out lying about certification; vagueness (e.g., products claiming "all natural" status, which could include hazardous substances that occur naturally); irrelevance (e.g., products claiming to be CFC-free even though CFCs have long been banned); or a lesser of two evils situation (e.g. organic cigarettes). Cascade paper towels were the big -- and only -- winner, with claims of being chlorine-free, having recycled content, and having legitimate logos checking out as accurate.

sources: CanWest News Service, TerraChoice

ADVERTISING POLICY

Comments: (6 comments)

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why am I not surprised?

Pass the organic, free-range turkey!

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

by John former Marine at 5:13 AM on 21 Nov 2007

greenwashed

Check out the group focused on corporate greenwashing on Wiser Earth: http://wiserearth.org/group/hypocrites

Wiser Earth is an open source directory of non-profit and NGOs.

by danielbell at 9:47 AM on 21 Nov 2007

separating the good from the greenwash

It's not only the products. Ecolabels themselves are a key tool in sorting out the green from the greenwash even though there's currently no global standard in place for what constitutes an ecolabel.

That's why we just launched www.ecolabelling.org; to make it easier for producers and consumers to understand who is deciding what's green and to start the discussion on what it means to be a good ecolabel.

by jacobmalthouse at 5:31 PM on 22 Nov 2007

greenwashing of nrdc and sierra club!

if you think it's bad when a corporation does it, how bad is it when trusted environmentalists do it?

i'm talking about the toxic tradeoffs sierra club and nrdc are making to support "renewable" energy by permanently destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness habitat. sorry, how will that permanent loss ever renew again?

you can't destroy the earth and call it "saving the earth." you and i know that, so why do they think they can get away with it? do they really believe that "as long as it's not fossil fuels, it's inherently fantastic?" please.

remote generation and transmission of power is a relic of the pre-PV past and it is only perpetuated to keep utilities' chokeholds on people and keep their profits rolling in.

stop the greenwashing. demand aggressive positions on net zero building codes, PV on every roof and industry conservation programs.

the greenest energy is that which you needn't ever produce.

by stopgreenpath at 9:16 PM on 07 Dec 2007

Not Surprised

Research, stemming my health issues, which led to my firm's the 100% Organic and 95% Vegan beauty line, absolutely left me literally going What the Hell!!! I looked at labels for so called natural and organic, but saw synthetic products listed. My manufacturer has very strict instructions to only use natural plant sulfates for example and no fragrance or anything like that. It is really wrong to mislead the public. I wish I had understood all that I do now many years ago. Firms and individuals have to come together, work together and set it right.

Your Body is Your Temple, Love it

by caterina939 at 3:54 PM on 13 Dec 2007

our rights

It's a pity and a cliche but, nevertheless that going green is reasonable and fashionable, it still does not pay in cash.
I can't rid of smoking for a long time. So, several weeks ago I've bought a new brand of cigarettes in a beautiful pack considering that the it might represent the quality inside. Oh! I was frustrated. Tobacco was so disgusting, it didn't even smell like tobacco. I don't know what kind of admixtures were in those fuchsia cigarettes, and even don't want to. But I'm on the verge of getting out smoking all kind of tobacco products, not only fancy packed cheap cigarettes.

"I like to drink coffee and smoking cigarettes before bed. I dream faster." (c) Steven Wright: Coffee and cigarettes

by cigarettes at 6:44 AM on 02 Jun 2008

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