Customers are being hoodwinked by products which appear to be greener than they actually are, a new campaign is warning.
Two organisations, UL and TerraChoice, have teamed up to highlight the "sin of greenwashing" - in other words, the act of misleading consumers over environmental practices and benefits of products and services.
UL, which is a global independent product safety certification organisation, says products may not be as "green" as we believe them to be.
The organisation wants to make sure we pay attention to the labels on our products as part of what they call a "spring greening" process.
"Spring greening at home starts with understanding how to recognise legitimate green labels on products, but we all need to understand there’s a difference between valid green claims and marketing claims often found on packaging," says John Drengenberg, consumer safety director for UL.
"That’s why we’re on a mission to help clarify what makes a product truly green and help consumers understand the tell-tale signs before they purchase products."
UL recommends we examine environmental claims on products, watch out for ambiguous terms such as "all-natural" (but not necessarily environmentally-friendly) and "eco-friendly" (how so?), and check for trusted green labels or certification marks.
They also suggest we trust our instincts - we can sense when things don’t seem right, just as we can sense when things do seem right.
After all, something led you to Big Green Smile where you can find products approved by the Waterwise Water Marque, USDA Organic Certification Approved, Fairtrade and 14 other accredited institutions.
[Image: jbcurio]
