FTC Revised Green Guides

This article was originally published by Sanitary Maintenance.

The terms “green” and “environmentally friendly” are common vernacular in the cleaning industry; unfortunately they are often loosely applied and lead to greenwashing. The latest revisions of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Green Guides should put an end to misleading environmental marketing claims.

First introduced in 1992 to help marketers avoid making misleading claims, the FTC revised the Green Guides in 1996 and 1998. However, a lot has changed in the last 14 years and the new rules, released in 2012, include new guidelines for environmental claims that were not common in 1998.

Product manufacturers are updating their marketing materials to comply with the new guidelines. Distributors, too, need to make sure their catalogs, brochures and even sales pitches are up-to-date — or face stiff penalties. Distributors are considered retailers and can be held liable for making false green claims.

Read the full article here to learn how the new FTC green guides qualify green.