ucts committing this sin might be
advertised as “100 percent natural.”
But consider the fact that arsenic and
formaldehyde are naturally-occurring
substances; we wouldn’t want those in
our shampoo.
4. Sin of Irrelevance
A green claim may be truthful, but
also be unimportant and unhelpful
in choosing among products. Some
aerosols, for instance, boast that they
are “CFC-free,” even though chloroflu-
orocarbons (CFCs) were banned here
more than 20 years ago.
5. Sin of Fibbing
Found to be true of relatively few
products, which outright misuse
or misrepresent certification by an
independent authority. Their product
“certification” doesn’t exist.
6. Sin of the Lesser
of Two Evils
A sleight-of-hand identified with
relatively few products. These “green”
claims may be true within the product
category, but risk distracting us from
the bigger issues of the category as a
whole. Examples include “organic”
cigarettes and “environmentally
friendly” pesticides. “No one should
be misled into choosing the lesser of
two evils,” concludes McDougall.
Two Green Stamps
As always, the best advice is, “Let
the buyer beware.” Be aware enough
EcoLogo
to differentiate between the good guys
EcoLogo
M
is North
wearing green hats and those stretch-
America’s oldest and
ing the eco-truth. The best bet is to
most widely known
rely upon trustworthy eco-labels, such
environmental leader-
Green Seal
as EcoLogo and Green Seal, which
ship standard, evaluat-
Green Seal standards
certify multiple product attributes.
ing products accord-
provide market
Knowledgeable purchasing power will
ing to more than 120 environmental
leadership criteria
keep impostors from stealing market
standards. It currently certifies nearly
for development of
share from the truly green innovators.
7,000 products based on all environ-
many categories of
mental attributes. For more on the
products and services. GreenSeal.org
Source: TerraChoice.com
only program in North America ac-
lists all Green Seal-certified goods,
credited by the Global Eco-Labelling
with links to the manufacturers and
Network, visit EcoLogo.org.
providers.

Pr i n t e d o n re c y c l e d Pa P e r t o Pr o t e c t t h e en v i r o n m e n t
October 2008 19
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