The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), University professors and students are aiming to regulate companies’ greenwashing practices, such as labeling and advertising products, through newly-revised Green Guides.
The revised Green Guides are meant to “caution marketers not to make blanket, general claims that a product is ‘environmentally-friendly’ or ‘eco-friendly’” and “caution marketers not to use unqualified certifications or seals of approval,” the FTC said in an Oct. 6 press release.
General environmental claims are difficult, if not impossible to prove, according to the summary of the new Green Guides.
The summary of the FTC’s Green Guides proposal lists definitions of heavily-used terms such as recyclable, degradable, compostable, ozone-friendly and non-toxic, as well as definitions of carbon offsets, and certifications and seals of approval as terms that are advised against.
Advertisers could be fined by the FTC if they make unsubstantiated green claims.
Greenwashing is a major problem in marketing and advertising throughout the world.
Greenwashing is used in advertisements and on product labels to make a product or service seem environmentally-friendly when the product actually is not. Fake third-party labels are often used to make a product appear official.
The FTC has the regulatory power to fine companies for violating the Green Guides, but they do not necessarily have enough people to regulate all of the companies and advertisers that practice greenwashing, University journalism professor Kim Sheehan said.
She also added that the new Green Guides are not enough to regulate greenwashing.
“All they’re doing is reiterating the previous guides,” she said.
Sheehan and Professor Deborah Morrison launched the Greenwashing Index website in 2008 in collaboration with the Portland-based social marketing company EnviroMedia in response to the prevalence of greenwashing.
The Greenwashing Index allows Internet users to post advertisements they find that qualify as greenwashed and discuss their findings with other site users.
“I’m glad it’s out there operating. It gets a lot of student discussion,” Morrison said.
University senior Holly Schnackenberg, an advertising major and co-director of Allen Hall Advertising, believes greenwashing, or green branding, is just a trend.
“You don’t need to toot your horn about how green you are,” Schnackenberg said. “Companies and their advertisers have been jumping on the green bandwagon in order to be popular with consumers. They should be practicing sustainability and do it because it’s the right thing to do,” Schnackenberg said.
The University will offer a sustainable communication journalism course in winter term and a sustainable leadership class spring term this year.
The FTC is seeking public comments on the proposed changes until Dec. 10.
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