Greenwashing study finds misleading claims on 95% of products

More than 95% of consumer products claiming to be green are committing at least one of the “sins” of greenwashing, according to "The Sins of Greenwashing: Home and Family Edition", released by TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company and part of Underwriters Laboratories’ global network. The study also found that big box retailers stock more “green” products and more products that provide legitimate environmental certifications than smaller “green” boutique-style stores.
The 2010 study reveals that greenwashing has declined slightly since 2009, with 4.5% of products now “sin-free”, compared to only 2% in 2009. The study also finds that marketers and product manufacturers are getting better, with greenwashing down among those who have been focused on environmentally preferable practices longer than others. The proportion of “sinfree” products is 5 times greater in “mature” categories like building, construction and office products than in “immature” categories like toys and baby products.
The study, the third since 2007, surveyed 5,296 products in the U.S. and Canada that make an environmental claim. Between March and May 2010, TerraChoice visited 19 retail stores in Canada and 15 in the United States. Product categories studied in the 2010 report include baby care products, toys, office products, building and construction products, cleaning products, housewares, health and beauty products and consumer electronics.