Environmental Advertising Enforcement Campaign
One of the best ways to build a sustainable economy is to shift to products and packaging with a truly reduced environmental impact. There are many such options available. However, the effort to promote and educate consumers about making better environmental choices is being complicated and undermined by misleading and false environmental claims by many marketers whose only objective is to increase sales. protect consumers from products with misleading environmental claims are enforced.
Our Mission
To reduce the use of false and misleading ‘green marketing’ claims by consumer product and packaging makers by identifying false claimants; initiating legal challenges against those claimants; and bringing public attention to the false claims.
We are utilizing existing California law and Federal Trade Commission guidelines as they relate to various environmental claims (such as “biodegradability"), and initiating a focused campaign aimed at levying enforcement actions by public agencies on several of the most egregious and visible offenders.
After targeting the offenders, we are working diligently with Californian District Attorneys to pursue and correct the violations.
Common Laws in Violation
Federal Trade Commission Green Guides
Outlines how Federal Trade Comission will enforce legitimacy of “green” advertising claims
CA Business and Professions Code 17580
Mandates the abidance of the FTC Green Guides in California
CA Public Resources Code 42355-42358.5
Regulates use of the term "biodegradable"
Current Focus Areas
Products marketed with:
Unqualified "degradable" claims
Unqualified, general environmental claims
Unqualified recyclable claims
Certified Compliant Products
Search the Biodegradable Products Institute for a list of certified compostable products. Member companies that have their finished products certified as meeting ASTM D6400 and / or ASTM D6868 can use the logo to provide assurance of compostability or biodegradability.