Course Description:
Environmental certification seals and claims of products being 'biodegradable' or containing 'zero VOCs' make for great marketing, but are they defensible? Growing environmental consciousness and public demand for 'green' products are changing the marketing landscape. Product stewards must be cautious that their companies' 'green marketing' complies with the various laws, regulations, guidance, and voluntary standards throughout the United States. The Federal Trade Commission's Green Guides govern national environmental marketing claims by identifying how consumers are likely to interpret claims; stipulating how marketers can substantiate claims; and recommending marketers ways to qualify their claims that avoid deceiving consumers. The FTC also aggressively enforces the Green Guides. In 2015, the FTC sent warning letters to five providers of environmental certification seals and 28 businesses that used the seals, alerting them that the seals could be deceptive and may not have complied with the FTC's Green Guides. This presentation will cover the Green Guides, FTC enforcement action and other green marketing litigation, and technical considerations for substantiating green claims.

Contact Hours:
1 Contact Hour

Presentation Date:
09/29/2021

Presenters:
Craig Thomson, National Chemical Emergency Centre
Timothy Kennedy, National Chemical Emergency Centre