Beware of greenwashing

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

The California Department of Consumer Affairs has issued the following scam alert on its latest Consumer Connection newsletter.

Greenwashing

This term describes the practice of deceptively labeling products to make them seem good for the environment. Greenwashing began in the late 1980s when consumers expressed a willingness to buy “green” products, when terms such as ecosafe, earth-friendly, earth smart, ozone safe, and more began to appear.

In many cases, these were examples of creative advertising rather than truthful representations of an environmentally preferable product. The Federal Trade Commission has a guide to help you sort out environmental advertising claims.

To read the newsletter Consumer Connection, click here.