FTC Changing the Rules on Green Marketing

Greenwashing is a constant problem when you go shopping for eco friendly products. So many product claims have no legal definition. Fortunately, the FTC is in the process of changing that. They’ve proposed revisions to their “Green Guides” that help marketers avoid making misleading environmental claims.

Can I say about time?!

These guidelines haven’t been updated since 1998. A lot has changed since then in the marketing of eco friendly products.

There’s a comment period open until December 10, 2010, after which the FTC will make the final decision.

So what are the changes proposed?

The revised Guides caution marketers not to make blanket, general claims that a product is “environmentally friendly” or “eco-friendly” because the FTC’s consumer perception study confirms that such claims are likely to suggest that the product has specific and far-reaching environmental benefits. Very few products, if any, have all the attributes consumers seem to perceive from such claims, making these claims nearly impossible to substantiate.

The proposed Guides also caution marketers not to use unqualified certifications or seals of approval – those that do not specify the basis for the certification. The Guides more prominently state that unqualified product certifications and seals of approval likely constitute general environmental benefit claims, and they advise marketers that the qualifications they apply to certifications or seals should be clear, prominent, and specific.

Next, the proposed revised Guides advise marketers how consumers are likely to understand certain environmental claims, including that a product is degradable, compostable, or “free of” a particular substance. For example, if a marketer claims that a product that is thrown in the trash is “degradable,” it should decompose in a “reasonably short period of time” – no more than one year.

They’re looking for comments on any of the changes, so if you have thoughts, now is the time to share them.

These changes won’t cover everything. That’s really not a surprise. It’s hard to come up with a good definition for “natural” for example, that could never be used in a misleading way, as it so often is now. I expect that it’s going to continue to be wildly abused since it’s not going to be regulated. Such an easy claim to make, too.

The rules in general may not be terribly specific, but environmental claims are hard to define in general. Hopefully these new guidelines will encourage more use of concrete evidence of claims made. In other industries such as weight loss, claims must be proven, but that’s more difficult  when it comes to the environment and we don’t always know the full impact of what we’re doing.

These guidelines aren’t law, but they do give the FTC a basis for declaring claims to be deceptive or unfair. They can order companies to cease and desist making claims that aren’t reasonable to make, or fine them if they violate the cease and desist. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.

But it’s still going to be up to consumers to pay attention and spot the greenwashing claims. These new guidelines should help, but they aren’t going to solve the problem.

Are “Things” Getting in the Way of the Lifestyle You Really Want?

It’s easy to want a lot of things these days, easy to have a lot of things too. The things many people consider to be normal parts of a normal life now weren’t a part of life not so very long ago. Yet these things can all but take control of your life, leaving you feeling as though you don’t have time for the things that really matter to you.

That’s why simplifying your life is such a good idea. It gives you more time for the things that really matter to you.

What Do You Enjoy?

The first thing you need to do is figure out what it is that you do enjoy in life. That’s going to be different for each of us. It might be more time with family, more time to read, more time to do things outdoors, even more time for work you really love. It’s a matter of personal priorities.

You want to focus here on the things you enjoy doing that you really could do if you just had more time, not just the things you dream about. Dreams are wonderful, but the focus here is on things you could be doing in a short period of time. That’s not always possible with dreams.

What’s in Your Way?

So, what’s stopping you from doing the things you enjoy? What changes can you make in your lifestyle so that you can enjoy your life more?

Some things, of course, you won’t want to give up. Some things you shouldn’t give up. But possessions that distract you from the things you’d really love to do are perfect. Get rid of those things that are keeping you from the lifestyle you want.

This could be electronic gadgets that you enjoy playing with, but take up the time you know you could be spending on simpler pleasures. These may be things you enjoy more when you get around to them, but the ease of electronic entertainment makes you forget about them.

This could be clutter around your home, that makes caring for your home take more time. All that stuff you’ve been meaning to get rid of… get rid of it.

Cutting back on excess things in your life means you don’t have to pay for electricity to run them. You don’t have to keep them clean anymore. You don’t need space to store them. Get them gone and you gain some space at the very least. You might even get some money if it was something worth selling.

Think of the Environment

Another point to consider is the environmental impact of all the things that are so easy to acquire. Are they really worth it? Do yo give much thought to the impact these things have on the environment simply from their creation?

This is a time to remind yourself why you want a simpler life. It’s better for the environment and it’s more meaningful to you. You get something that means something to you when you simplify, whether it’s a chance to hike through amazing natural areas or growing your own garden or enjoying some other hobby.

These are things that matter to you. They’re things you can teach your children as they get older. They’re things you’ll be glad to remember later on, rather than just recalling nights spent in front of the television.

What things are in your way?

Have You Added the 4th R to Your Thinking?

Anyone concerned about the environment knows the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. But there’s a 4th R, and it goes in front of the rest.  It’s related to Reducing, but may be a stronger reminder that you should be cutting back on what you buy.

It’s Refuse.

Refuse that plastic bag to carry your purchases. Refuse single use containers. Refuse unnecessary packaging whenever possible.

This isn’t easy to do in some ways. Packaging isn’t something you have much control over in some ways. Dodging that plastic bag when you shop by bringing your own reusable bags is easy, drinking water from a reusable bottle is easy once you build the habit, but actual product packaging you have only a little control over.

Even if you just do the easy things, you’re making a difference. Millions of water bottles are thrown out every year by Americans. Use your reusable bottle and help others to see how much fun it is to have your own bottle. It’s not all that inconvenient, after all, and the savings versus buying single serve, single use bottles comes quickly.

Pack your reusable bags in your trunk or someplace else where you’ll actually remember to bring them every time you go shopping, not just at the grocery store, but anywhere you shop.

The most challenging part is refusing to buy things that are overpackaged. It’s the area you have the least control over.

Some things you can buy online with less packaging, such as those products available with Amazon’s Frustration-Free Packaging. The selection is limited, but better than when it started. You can also seek out products locally that aren’t as heavily packaged, but you still face the challenge of getting something that isn’t heavily packaged.

When you’re stuck with packaging, think about what can be done to reuse it before you send it for recycling. Anything biodegradable can go in the compost pile. Some packaging materials can be used in crafts or to store other things you already own.

You can also avoid excess packaging by buying in bulk when possible. Buy concentrates and refills when they’re available. This is a habit that can save you money as well as reduce waste.

In general, we need to think when we shop. It’s not just what we buy, it’s how we buy it. Think about what you really need, consider the packaging, consider how you’re going to bring it home and try to make the best decision for your situation. You can make a difference by showing that you care how things are packaged and using less single use packaging whenever possible.

Guava for Natural Constipation Treatment

My mother has a pineapple guava tree in her backyard. It’s a nice little tree, produces quite a bit more fruit than she can handle, and the kids love cleaning out the ripe fruit that has fallen from the tree for her. They pretty much aren’t ripe until they fall, and they blend in very well with the leaves, so picking the fruit from the ground is the best way to get the good stuff.

We love the guavas in our family for a few reasons. For one, they taste pretty good. Very unusual flavor. But they’re also great for handling constipation.

I mean it. Don’t eat more than one, maybe two a day, or you’ll regret it more likely than not.

My son has a long standing issue in that area, so he’s been enjoying the harvest daily. But we got enough that we can’t use them fast enough, so I pureed and froze the excess. It’s really easy.

Slice the guavas in half and spoon out the flesh. Put the flesh into the blender and discard the skins. This is one of the times I love our VitaMix, although any blender would do for this job.

Blend lightly. I don’t like to completely puree it – I think the cubes taste more like the original fruit if they still have some of the original gritty texture.

Pour the blended fruit into ice cube trays. I suggest using trays that are smaller than standard ice cubes or just not filling each cube completely. A full size guava cube might be a bit of a strain on the digestive system, if you get my drift.

Freeze and use as needed. They also add an interesting touch to fruit smoothies, in moderation, of course.

I can’t promise that these will cure any constipation issue, but in my experience they’re pretty powerful.

4 Toxic Household Cleaning Supplies and Their Alternatives

Many of the classic household cleaning supplies that were used by our parents and their parents before them are fairly toxic. These days we’re more aware of the hazards, but not always sure of how to avoid them. These are some of the problem cleaning supplies and how you can replace them. It’s often surprisingly simple.

1. Bleach

Bleach is certainly powerful as a cleaner, and there are times when you have little other choice for getting rid of mildew. But for routine cleaning it’s really more power than you need.

Bleach is an irritant. If you’ve used it, you know this already. The fumes are uncomfortable to breathe. They aren’t good for you or for your children. On top of that, the labels even warn you about too much contact with bleach.

Replace with: Lemon juice. For many purposes, lemon juice does a very good job. Natural sunlight is also great at bleaching out certain stains. They aren’t as strong, but for most purposes they’re quite good enough.

2. Ammonia

Ammonia is often used in glass cleaners as well as other surface cleaners. Just as with bleach, the fumes are rather unpleasant, and if you read the label you can see that it’s hazardous.

Replace with: Vinegar. It’s not the most appealing of smells, but the scent dissipates as it dries, and it does a fair job of taking other scents with it. Vinegar works great on glass and other hard surfaces, and can be combined with baking soda for many cleaning chores.

3. Air Fresheners

You may love the way air fresheners smell, but their ingredient list may be enough to drive you out of the house. They may contain chemicals such as 1,4 dichlorobenzene, formaldehyde, naphthalene and other VOCs that can cause respiratory effects. These can be a problem if anyone in the house has asthma or other breathing issues.

Beyond that, they don’t usually actually freshen air. They often deaden your ability to smell or simply cover up one smell with another.

Replace with: Open windows are ideal, weather permitting. If not, boil some favorite herbs or some apple peels on the stove, or spray vinegar in the air. Any of these will help with household odors.

4. Toilet Bowl Cleaners

Toilet bowls can get pretty awful looking, and that squeeze bottle is an awfully easy way to clean them, but it’s not the best for the environment. The chemicals in toilet bowl cleaners are very strong, not the kind of thing you want around your family, especially small children.

Replace with: Baking soda plus scrubbing for basic stains, borax plus vinegar, time and scrubbing for worse stains. Or buy a reputable eco friendly brand of toilet bowl cleaner. Seventh Generation makes a toilet bowl cleaner, for example.

Since many products don’t list ingredients, your best bet is to avoid cleaning products that say “Caution.” “Danger” or “Warning” on them. These will have some sort of hazardous chemical you should try to keep out of your house as much as possible.

Products with specific environmental benefits listed are better than ones claiming to be green with no claimed benefits at all. If it says biodegradable, does it say how soon? Are there no phosphates in it? If there’s a clear statement of the benefit, there’s more likely to be something to it. “Natural” and “eco-friendly” don’t mean a thing on their own.