Many of today's packages now bear "Recycled," "Energy-efficient," Eco-friendly, "Chemical-free," "Natural," and other green labels. The bad news? Research says that 99.9 percent of these claims are fraudulent and are "greenwashing" the truth!

Green products were once a niche for the eco-committed. Now that they've gone mainstream and are catering to a booming market, some green marketers are having truth-in-labeling and fraud issues, passing off fakes as genuinely green. Here's how.

Brand owners know that offering today's environmentally conscious consumers a range of eco-friendly products is not just smart marketing, but also brand-enhancing. Thus, the frequent intersection of green marketing and corporate branding and the proliferation of green labels. But what standards do companies use when they label their products green? Where is the oversight? How can consumers be assured of the eco-truth of such claims?

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, Inc., an Ottawa-based environmental consulting agency, recently conducted a research study of 1,018 green-advertised common consumer products ranging from toothpaste to caulking to shampoo to printers. According to TerraChoice president, Scott McDougall, "The products we surveyed made a total of 1,753 claims, and 99 per cent committed at least one of the Six Sins of Greenwashing."

To "greenwash" (a combination of green and whitewash) is to mislead consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. To help consumers figure out which so-called eco-friendly product labels are genuine, half-truths, or outright fraudulent, TerraChoice also released a tip sheet – the Six Sins of Greenwashing" – along with the study results. They are:

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: e.g. "Energy-efficient" electronics that contain hazardous materials. 998 products or 57% of all environmental claims committed this Sin.
2. Sin of No Proof: e.g. Shampoos claiming to be "certified organic," but with no verifiable certification. 454 products and 26% of environmental claims committed this Sin.
3. Sin of Vagueness: e.g. Products claiming to be 100% natural when many naturally-occurring substances are hazardous, like arsenic and formaldehyde. Seen in 196 products or 11% of environmental claims.
4. Sin of Irrelevance: e.g. Products claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago. This Sin was seen in 78 products and 4% of environmental claims.
5. Sin of Fibbing: e.g. Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognized environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal. Found in 10 products or less than 1% of environmental claims.
6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils: Organic cigarettes or a hybrid-yet-inefficient SUV. This occurred in 17 products or 1% of environmental claims.

Today, both consumers and companies face two challenges as far as green marketing: One, there is no real definition for green products or, for that matter, for green companies. So seeing "organic" or "biodegradable" on a label really means nothing. Two, such green terms can also be misleading. "Natural" meat could have been bombarded with antibiotics. Apparel could be certifiably eco-friendly – but its makers' corporate practices may not.

To make sure that consumers can buy green with confidence, green marketers (like any other marketer) must ensure that their product labels do not make any fraudulent claims. They'll need to pass a "green" authentication test – with flying colors.