Green or Just a Scheme?

Green or Just a Scheme?

By Dryden Quigley

Recently companies have been misleading their clients by falsely claiming that their products are natural and good for the environment.  Terrachoice is one toy and home goods company that has been abusing the hype about going “green”. In their home goods section 95% have a false “green” advertisement on them and every toy has at least one false statement. In a recent survey of products claiming they are “green”, 98% are false or misleading. One example of this false advertising is in car companies claiming to be eco-friendly because they have lower emissions than most other cars. Even though a car has low emissions it still gives off emissions negatively impacting the environment. How do so many companies get away with false advertising? The reason companies have been able to make false advertisement is due to lack of definition for words. The US government hasn’t released official definitions for words such as natural, nontoxic, fragrance-free, and green. Therefore companies can put these words on their products and have them mean whatever they want. Terrachoice takes advantage of this by claiming its products are “all natural”, and technically they are. Mercury and arsenic are elements used in Terrachoice products that are natural elements, but dangerous to the environment. Sixty-five percent of consumers believe an official stamp should be made that authenticates the statements on the products. This stamp would help consumers choose a reliable product.  Already, stores that sell “green” products to consumers are beginning to take action against fake advertising. For example, Walmart is beginning a rating system which gives the product a number or stamp depending on how eco-friendly they are. A rating system such as Walmarts could help consumers make informed decisions on which products are truly “green” versus those claiming to be “green” just to boost sales.