Companies everywhere have figured out that by asserting their products are “green,” eco-friendly and made from recyclables, consumers buy them up guilt-free.

But what on earth do these descriptions actually mean? What does it take to name a product green?

As a consumer or a business, learning the meaning of “greenspeak” is increasingly important to understand what you are buying, or in determining if what you are selling falls in any of these categories (and if not, what it would take to get there). The Federal Trade Commission has released a guide to making green claims, which offers explanations and examples of what is and isn’t fair game.

Clarity: First and foremost, tell it like it is: the clearer the better. The FTC emphasizes clarity in terms of language, type, size and the absence of contrary claims that muddle the product’s meaning.

Distinction between benefits of product, package and service: The claim must clearly identify which aspect it refers to when stating the benefit.

Example: “A box of aluminum foil is labeled with the claim ‘recyclable,’ without further elaboration. Unless the type of product, surrounding language, or other context of the phrase establishes whether the claim refers to the foil or the box, the claim is deceptive if any part of either the box or the foil, other than minor, incidental components, cannot be recycled.”

Avoid overstating the benefits: If the product doesn’t have significant environmental benefits, don’t mess with the label by manipulating the numbers.

Example: “A package is labeled, ‘50% more recycled content than before.’ The manufacturer increased the recycled content of its package from 2 percent recycled material to 3 percent recycled material. Although the claim is technically true, it is likely to convey the false impression that the advertiser has increased significantly the use of recycled material.”

Example: “An ad claims that the advertiser’s packaging creates ‘less waste than the leading national brand.’ The advertiser’s source reduction was implemented some time ago and is supported by a calculation comparing the relative solid waste contributions of the two packages. The advertiser should be able to substantiate that the comparison remains accurate.”

Don’t make broad environmental benefit claims: “Unqualified general claims of environmental benefit are difficult to interpret, and depending on their context, may convey a wide range of meanings to consumers. In many cases, such claims may convey that the product, package or service has specific and far-reaching environmental benefits.”

Example: “A brand name like ‘Eco-Safe’ would be deceptive if, in the context of the product so named, it leads consumers to believe that the product has environmental benefits which cannot be substantiated by the manufacturer. The claim would not be deceptive if ‘Eco-Safe’ were followed by clear and prominent qualifying language limiting the safety representation to a particular product attribute for which it could be substantiated, and provided that no other deceptive implications were created by the context.”

These are a few of the main points in the FTC Guide, which can be found at www.ftc.gov by searching “green guides.” A great way to make sure what you are buying is really green is to take a minute to read the label, and if the company is abiding by the FTC regulations, it should be as clear as a mountain stream.

For businesses, explore the guide and see if what you are doing, or what you could be doing, is really environmentally friendly.

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