Clark Howard's Tips

Beware of greenwashed products

June 16, 2008

Have you been paying extra for supposed "green" products in the cleaning aisle at the supermarket? Consumer Reports has found that such labels don't really have any meaning.

In fact, the conversion of familiar, non-"green" products to allegedly eco-friendly ones has become known as "greenwashing." So beware the next time you see an old product that's been repackaged as an earth-friendly choice -- with a higher price tag.

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Likewise, "natural" is just another marketing term, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. There's no government definition of the term. Some tests have even revealed that petroleum-based products are being called "natural." Sure, fossil fuels are "natural" because they came from dinosaurs, but isn't that a bit of a stretch?!

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