The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is scheduled to begin its review of the Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (“Green Guides”) CFR Part 260
This is a promising step forward in the process of creating a global framework that could be clearly understood and followed by companies around the world.
Citing the first chapter, Purpose, scope, and structure of the guides begins with:
“These guides set forth the Federal Trade Commission’s current views about environmental claims. The guides help marketers avoid making environmental marketing claims that are unfair or deceptive”
“The guides consist of general principles, specific guidance on the use of particular environmental claims, and examples. Claims may raise issues that are addressed by more than one example and in more than one section of the guides. The examples provide the Commission’s views on how reasonable consumers likely interpret certain claims. The guides are based on marketing to a general audience. However, when a marketer targets a particular segment of consumers, the Commission will examine how reasonable members of that group interpret the advertisement. Whether a particular claim is deceptive will depend on the net impression of the advertisement, label, or other promotional material at issue. In addition, although many examples present specific claims and options for qualifying claims, the examples do not illustrate all permissible claims or qualifications under Section 5 of the FTC Act”
source: lexology.com, All Wrapped Up: The Past, Present and Future of Recycled Content and Recyclability Claims