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"Green" Advertising Claims:
Points to Consider
Like many consumers, you may be interested in buying
products that are less harmful to the environment.
You've probably seen products with such "green" claims
as "environmentally safe," "recyclable," "degradable,"
or "ozone friendly."
But what do these claims really mean? How can you
tell which products really are less harmful to the environ-
ment? This fact sheet offers some pointers to help you
decide.
Look for environmental
claims that are specific.
o evaluate environmental claims, look for
product labels with specific information
about the product or its packaging. For ex-
ample, if a label says "recycled," check how much of the
product or packaging is recycled.
A growing number of labels on "recycled" products tell
where the recycled material comes from. "Post-consumer"
material comes from previously used business or con-
sumer products, such as newspapers, plastic bottles,
glass containers, or aluminum cans. "Pre-consumer"
material, in contrast, is basically manufacturing waste.
For example, an envelope manufacturer might recycle
the clippings left over when envelopes are cut from pa-
per. These clippings could be made into other paper
products instead of being thrown away.
Some products and packages state that they use less mate-
rial in the first place than previous or competing products.
See if the claim says exactly what has been reduced, by
how much, and compared to what. A claim such as "20
percent less waste" does not tell the whole story. In-
stead, look for claims such as "20 percent less packaging
than our previous package."
Labels with "recyclable" claims mean that these prod-
ucts can be collected and made into useful products.
This is relevant to you, however, only if this material is
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collected for recycling in your community. Contact
your local recycling office,, trash hauler, or scrap dealer
for this information.
Look for claims that clearly state whether they apply to
the product, its packaging, or both. For example, the
claim "recycled content" alone may not give you this
information.
Be wary of overly
broad or vague environ-
mental claims.
ust as specific information about the envi-
ronmental merits of products can be helpful,
overly general or vague claims provide little
information to help you make purchasing decisions.
Labels with unqualified claims that a product is "envi-
ronmentally friendly," "eco-safe," or "environmentally
safe" have little meaning, for two reasons.
First, all products have some environmental impact,
though some may have less impact than others. Sec-
ond, these phrases alone do not provide the specific in-
formation needed to compare products and packaging
on their environmental merits.
Similarly, claims like "safe in a landfill" or "safe for incin-
eration" provide little help in choosing among products.
Most consumer products pose little environmental risk
when disposed of in properly designed and operated
landfills or incinerators. Disposal safety depends more on
how a waste facility is designed and managed than on the
characteristics of any single material that is disposed.
Degradable materials
will not help save land-
fill space.
ome products claim to be "degradable." Bio-
degradable materials, like food and leaves,
break down and decompose into elements
found in nature when exposed to air, moisture, and bacte-
ria or other organisms. Photodegradable materials, usually
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plastics, disintegrate into smaller pieces when exposed
to enough sunlight.
Either way, however, degradation of any material occurs
very slowly in landfills, where most garbage is sent.
That's because modern landfills are designed, according
to law, to minimize the entry of sunlight, air, and mois-
ture into the landfill. This helps to prevent pollutants
from the garbage from entering the air and drinking
water supplies, but also greatly slows decomposition.
Even organic materials like paper and food may take
decades to decompose in a landfill.
In contrast to landfills, composting takes advantage of
degradability. It turns degradable materials into usable
compost—humus-like material that enriches the soil
and returns nutrients to the earth. Some people com-
post yard trimmings and some food scraps in their back
yards. Many communities collect leaves, grass, and
other yard trimmings for composting. A very small
number of communities are experimenting with large-
scale composting of all the organic materials in collected
garbage. When you see a "compostable" claim on a
product or package, check to be sure you have access in
your community to a facility that accepts that material
for composting.
Cleaning products like detergents and shampoos often
display "biodegradable" claims. In general, most of
these products will degrade in wastewater systems—
which has been true for years.
Check "ozone friendly"
and "CFC-free" claims
carefully.
PCs are chemical substances called chlo-
rofluorocarbons that can deplete the earth's
protective ozone layer. They are used to
provide coolant in air conditioners and refrigerators, to
clean electronic parts, and to make certain plastic foam
products. In 1978, CFCs were banned for use as propel-
lants in nearly all consumer aerosol products.
HCFCs, or hydrochlorofluorocarbons, are sometimes
used as substitutes for CFCs. While HCFCs are much
less damaging to the ozone layer than CFCs, they still
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cause some ozone depletion and are thus not safe for
the ozone layer.
By law, CFCs, HCFCs, and other ozone-depleting sub-
stances are being phased out in all products and manu-
facturing processes over the next several years.
Beginning in 1993, products containing or made with
the most harmful ozone-depleting substances must be
labeled to indicate this. Until then, you may not be able
to tell from the label whether a product contains or is
made with an ozone-depleting substance unless you
contact the manufacturer.
Think about ground
level ozone, too.
on't confuse the ozone layer with ozone at
the ground level. The ozone layer in the up-
per atmosphere is needed to prevent the
sun's harmful radiation from reaching the earth. When
ozone develops at the ground level, it forms smog,
which can cause serious breathing problems.
One factor contributing to the formation of ground level
ozone, or smog, is the release of substances called VOCs,
or volatile organic compounds. Common VOC sub-
stances are alcohols, butane, propane, and isobutane. Al-
though emissions from cars and factories are the major
source of VOC releases to the environment, some con-
sumer products also contribute to the problem. Products
such as household cleaning products, floor polishes, char-
coal lighter fluid, windshield washer fluid, and hair styl-
ing spray, gel, and mousse—whether in aerosol cans or
spray pumps—may contain VOCs.
Did you know.
he Federal Trade Commission recently is-
sued guides, with the cooperation of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
I the Office of Consumer Affairs, for manufacturers and
others who wish to make claims about the environmental
features of products. These guides explain various cir-
cumstances in which the Federal Trade Commission
considers use of "green" advertising claims to be mis-
leading.
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For More Information
Contact the Environmental
Protection Agency:
If you would like information about
EPA's publications on source reduction,
recycling, and other waste_._management
issues (including "The Consumer's
Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste"), call the RCRA
Hotline at 800-424-9346. (In the Washington, DC, area,
call 703-920-9810.) If you would like information
about EPA's publications on air pollution issues, call
the National Air Toxics Information Clearinghouse
at 919-541-0850.
Contact the Federal Trade
Commission:
If you have questions or concerns about
environmental advertising claims, write:
Correspondence Branch, Federal Trade
Commission, Washington, DC 20580, or
call 202-326-2222. If you would like a copy
of the "Guides for the Use of Environmental
Marketing Claims," call 202-326-3753.
Contact the U.S. Office of
Consumer Affairs:
[CONSUMERS
If you would like more information about
"green" advertising claims and other con-
sumer topics that are included in the
"Consumer's Resource Handbook," a
free self-help guide listing more than
2,000 consumer contacts, write: Hand-
book, Consumer Information Center,
Pueblo, CO 81009.
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