Study - 99.9% Of "Green" Product Claims False, Misleading Or Unsubstantiated - CanWest News

[hatrack]

You can lather your hair with "chemical-free" shampoo that asserts it was not tested on animals, don bamboo underwear and an organic cotton T-shirt, and use your energy-efficient printer to create a letter on recycled paper with non-toxic ink.

But if buying Earth-friendly products gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling, consider this: An astounding 99.9 per cent of so-called green products make false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims, according to a study last year by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing. Companies have become so adept at making themselves and their products look more environmentally friendly than they really are, the practice has its own name: greenwashing.

TerraChoice investigated 1,018 "green" products sold in U.S. big-box stores and found all but one -- paper towel made by a Quebec company, Cascades -- make unsubstantiated, misleading or false claims. "The results were so shocking, we wanted to make sure they were accurate," says TerraChoice vice-president Scot Case.

TerraChoice administers Environment Canada's EcoLogo program. There are more than 7,000 EcoLogo-certified products from hundreds of manufacturers. For information, visit ecologo.org. "What shocked me the most is I did not think there would be such a high percentage of greenwashing," says Case. "I actually thought our staff had done something wrong."

EDIT

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/reallife/story.html?id=37256480-505d-4e70-a509-da70e706bb57

[Kittycat]

1. This is disturbing. I sell green products - and now I've got to go back..

to all my vendors to verify more information that I thought I had already covered. My biggest concern are the personal care/cleaning items I sell, because they're targeted for Infants & Children. They're all certified organic by the FDA, as well. Do you know if this report pertains to only canadian companies? Or US as well?

[phantom power]

2. paging Dr. Muller

http://encarta.msn.com/media_461516435/viceroy_and_monarch.html

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. The skeptic makes note of something

A figure like 99.9% is just about unbelievable.

Okay, so:
Q: Who did this study?
A: "TerraChoice"

Q: What does TerraChoice do for money?
A: They provide certification services.

Q: Would it be in TerraChoice's financial interest to create an inflated sense of just how dishonest green claims are?
A: Yes.


Any examples? Sure! The number 1 "Sin"

http://www.terrachoice.com/files/EcologoReleaseCDN.pdf

...

Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: e.g. “Energy-efficient” electronics that contain hazardous materials. 998 products or 57% of all environmental claims committed this Sin.

...

Okay, so for example, CFL's are much more energy efficient, but contain mercury. It is therefore apparently a "sin" to claim that CFL's are "energy efficient" without pointing out that they contain mercury.


Notice that this "sin" accounts for the majority (57%) of the supposedly "unsubstantiated, misleading or false claims." I would say that TerraChoice's claim is "misleading or false" itself.

[phantom power]

4. What's a skeptic to do?

Taking a company's word for their claims about their own products isn't a very appealing option. So an outfit like TerraChoice fills a useful niche.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. Check out their 2nd "Sin"

Sin of No Proof: e.g. Shampoos claiming to be “certified organic,” but with no verifiable certification. 454 products and 26% of environmental claims committed this Sin.

Let's see... so... had they come to us to be certified, then that would be okay. We're not saying that they aren't "organic," or even that they're not "certified organic," just that we cannot verify that they are.

Their press release includes this paragraph:

Manufacturers and suppliers can request an assessment and EcoLogo certification in order to determine whether a product’s claims are valid or if they commit one of the Six Sins. EcoLogo’s insignia will help consumers know that an independent, credible and expert third party has verified a product’s green qualifications.

(This is tantamount to blackmail if you ask me.)

Between these top 2 "sins," we've accounted for 83%!

As the sins get more serious, they become much less common. Here's "Sin" number 5:

Sin of Fibbing: e.g. Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognized environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal. Found in 10 products or less than 1% of environmental claims.

Okay, I don't know why they call it "Fibbing" instead of "lying" (unless they're "fibbing" themselves.) However, their press release kind of implies that 1,017 products out of 1,018 were outright lying in their claims. As it turns out, "less than 1%" were "fibbing."


So, my reaction is that a skeptic should not trust a company like TerraChoice. (Clearly their press release makes inflated claims.)

[phantom power]

6. So you want them to use some other certification company.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. There are non-profit certifications

Like Energy-Star for example or the USDA's organic certification program.

I'd definitely steer clear of any certifying company or organization that makes sensational claims like these.