Comments in Support of Updates to the Federal Trade Commission “Green Guides”

United States consumers’ deep and increasing interest in environmental issues influences their purchasing decisions. But the prevalence of misleading environmental marketing claims creates consumer confusion and a resulting misallocation of consumer purchasing power. In order to ensure consumers can align their purchases with their values, factual accuracy and transparency are necessary. The Green Guides, as an important consumer protection tool, can be revised to promote this transparency and discourage deception by expanding the range of defined environmental marketing terms, and modifying the existing definitions to keep pace with scientific progression.