Earth Equity News

FTC Proposes Crackdown on Greenwashing. By Gabriel Nelson and Amanda Peterka, Greenwire, 10/6/10. “Under a set of environmental marketing guidelines that were proposed by the Federal Trade Commission today, businesses would soon have to tread more carefully when calling their products ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly.’ FTC’s draft guidelines tell companies not to make ‘unqualified general environmental benefit claims.’ Under current rules, those broader claims are fine as long as the businesses can provide evidence that the product is better for the environment in specific ways. The proposed change is part of a long-pending revision to FTC Green Guides, which would also set out the first federal ground rules for the marketing of carbon offsets and renewable energy credits.”