‘A sea of misinformation’: FTC to address industry greenwashing complaints

As consumers turn to renewable and recyclable products, protests over industry’s use of misleading terms have proliferated

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking aim at greenwashing by big business with an update to its “Green Guides”, which would give the agency stronger legal cases against polluters by clarifying when companies’ deceptive marketing around sustainability and environmental responsibility violates federal law.

The move follows years of formal complaints filed with the FTC about often highly questionable claims made by fossil fuel companies, big agriculture, major food producers and other polluting industries.