http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentN...E53E6RS20090416
QUOTE
Just 2 percent of the growing number of self-proclaimed green products on store shelves make completely legitimate claims on their labels, a report by consulting firm TerraChoice Environmental Marketing said on Wednesday.
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The number of green products available in stores surveyed by TerraChoice increased dramatically between 2007 and 2009, the report said, and marketing claims became more creative.
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"The bad news is that TerraChoice's survey of 2,219 consumer products in Canada and the U.S. shows that 98 percent committed at least one sin of greenwashing and that some marketers are exploiting consumers' demand for third-party certification by creating fake labels or false suggestions of third-party endorsement."
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The number of green products available in stores surveyed by TerraChoice increased dramatically between 2007 and 2009, the report said, and marketing claims became more creative.
...
"The bad news is that TerraChoice's survey of 2,219 consumer products in Canada and the U.S. shows that 98 percent committed at least one sin of greenwashing and that some marketers are exploiting consumers' demand for third-party certification by creating fake labels or false suggestions of third-party endorsement."
'greenwashing' is the practice of changing the label to make it appear to be more eco-friendly, without actually delivering the benefit. In addition to fake third party labels, lack of proof, vagueness, irrelevance and outright lying are included.
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| QUOTE |
| Just 2 percent of the growing number of self-proclaimed green products on store shelves make completely legitimate claims on their labels, a report by consulting firm TerraChoice Environmental Marketing said on Wednesday. ... The number of green products available in stores surveyed by TerraChoice increased dramatically between 2007 and 2009, the report said, and marketing claims became more creative. ... "The bad news is that TerraChoice's survey of 2,219 consumer products in Canada and the U.S. shows that 98 percent committed at least one sin of greenwashing and that some marketers are exploiting consumers' demand for third-party certification by creating fake labels or false suggestions of third-party endorsement." |
'greenwashing' is the practice of changing the label to make it appear to be more eco-friendly, without actually delivering the benefit. In addition to fake third party labels, lack of proof, vagueness, irrelevance and outright lying are included.
TerraChoice researchers recorded product details, claims, supporting information, and manufacturers' offers of more information or support.
They then tested the claims against best practice guidelines provided by the Canadian Competition Bureau, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, and the standard for environmental labeling set by the International Organization for Standardization.
Now, some people thought it would rarely happen. I'll point out that 98% of companies trying for this market niche were shown to be faking it. Of those, roughly 15% were seriously faking it last year
If other company and manufacturing firms came to have to have this similar ideas, then for sure we will not be counting tones of millions of waste around the world. Good that there are few company that works in converting landfill waste to a reusable resources like methane.