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Green marketing pitfalls to avoid

Read these tips to learn those things you need to avoid when making green marketing claims, in order to comply with the FTC’s new ‘Green Guides.’

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Originally issued in 1992, with subsequent updates in 1996 and 1998, the "Green Guides" represent the latest in the Federal Trade Commission’s thinking regarding the appropriateness of making certain claims related to environmental benefits. They do not have the force and effect of law and are not independently enforceable, but they do provide agency guidance on what claims the FTC believes would, and would not, be actionable.

For the most part, the Green Guides simply apply traditional consumer protection principles to environmental marketing claims. Essentially, the FTC takes a holistic approach toward determining whether a claim is deceptive or misleading, taking into account the context in which the claim was made, the effect it has on the consumer’s decision-making process, as well as the support for the claim. The Green Guides, however, do provide some specific guidance on the appropriateness of various environmental marketing claims. Below is a useful list of key things to avoid when making green marketing claims. 

DON’T:

• Make broad, unqualified, general environmental benefit claims, such as stating that your product or packaging is "green" or "eco-friendly."

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