BSR Insight | 'Green Guides' Help Steer Environmental Marketing
About the Author(s)
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
Publication Date
October 19, 2010
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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released its draft guidance on environmental marketing, which helps marketers avoid misleading customers—and avoid FTC actions against them.
The FTC "Green Guides":
- Require environmental claims to be substantiated and advise companies to avoid ambiguous umbrella terms like "green" or "eco-friendly."
- Prescribe specific rules on issues like carbon offsets, recyclability, certifications and seals, and renewable materials and energy.
- Define where to tread carefully on complex issues such as life-cycle assessments and eco-labeling. In areas where the FTC lacks sufficient information to provide guidance, it promises to analyze claims on a case-by-case basis.
The guides require that disclosure is clear and accurate, but leaves the actual disclosure methods up to companies—which will encourage competition on actual environmental action beyond messaging.
The FTC is accepting input on the draft guidance until December 10. Read more and submit your own comments, which will be aggregated and sent to the FTC.
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