Don't Get Greenwashed
The demand for environmentally friendly products is booming, and manufacturers have responded by advertising their green. But, buyer beware. Not all products are as eco-friendly as they look. Many products are actually just greenwashed, meaning they are made to appear eco-friendly without actually being eco-friendly. Greenwashed products may contain labels such as biodegradable, cruelty-free, eco-safe, environmentally friendly, environmentally preferable, environmentally safe, or nontoxic. These terms are generally meaningless as they are not legally defined or enforced. Want to make sure you are getting the real deal? Here's a quick list of the labels that should catch your eye. If these labels are not accompanied by a true green certification, then they are probably not as green as they claim to be.
Biodegradable. A number of cleaning solutions, paper products, and personal care products claim to be biodegradable. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the biodegradable label should mean that a product will break down and decompose within a short time of disposal. However, neither the FTC nor any other organization currently verifies product claims.
Just because a product will break down quickly does not necessarily mean that it is good for the environment. For example, the now notorious chemical DDT is biodegradable, but it breaks down into components that are actually more harmful to the environment than the chemical in its original form.
DDT, or dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, is a synthetic insectide that was used in agriculture around the time of World War II. In 1962, American biologist Rachel Carson proved that that DDT was detrimental to both humans and wildlife, particularly birds. Her book, Silent Spring, became an environmental classic and was one of the primary reasons that DDT was banned from use in the United States in 1972.
Cruelty-free. This label is a response to the animal testing boycotts of the 1990s. It can be found on cleaning solutions and personal hygiene products and is intended to imply that the product was not tested on animals. However, this term is not legally defined and there is no agency that verifies the claim. Look for the Leaping Bunny label instead to backup this claim.
Free range. The free range label is found on poultry, eggs, and beef products. But the term is only legally defined for labeling poultry, not beef or eggs. The USDA requires that poultry labeled free range must have access to the outdoors for an undetermined period each day. Five minutes of open-air access is considered adequate to get a stamp of approval from the USDA. Incidentally, open air access just means the coop door is opened, not that the birds are actually outside.
Nontoxic. Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) defines toxic substances as those that are directly responsible for an injury or illness to humans when they are inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. Products must also be labeled as toxic if it can be shown that long-term exposure can cause chronic effects such as cancer or birth defects. However, the CPSC does not legally define the term nontoxic, so any manufacturer can use this label without actually backing up their claim.
Recyclable. Products labeled recyclable can be collected, separated or recovered from the solid waste stream and used again in some form or another. But just because a product is labeled recyclable does not mean that you will actually find anywhere to recycle it. Contact your local recycling center to find out what products are accepted in your area.
Recycled. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has developed guidelines on how the recycled label should be used; however, they do not verify its authenticity. They also do not distinguish between pre-consumer (materials like shavings from a paper mill that have never been used) and post-consumer waste (yesterday's newspaper.) If you want to know just how recycled a particular product is, you will have to contact the manufacturer.
