Green Marketing

Green MarketingPresented by: VikashRoll-No: 11115375 (E2)Mechanical Depart.What is it?Using claims about a product's environmental "friendliness" in order to promote the product

Examples of green advertising claims?biodegradablecompostablerecyclable/recycledenvironmentally safeozone friendlyWhy do companies use it?Research shows that consumers prefer--and are willing to spend more money on--products they perceive as environmentally safeMore than half of American consumers have purchased a product because of a label that said it was environmentally safe or biodegradable

Are there problems of deception with green claims?Keyes Fibre Company's claims for Chinet disposable tablewarebiodegradablecompostable in municipal solid waste composting facilitiesRecyclableIn fact, according to the FTCWont degrade in landfillFew municipal composting facilitiesNo facilities accept it for recycling

Why are consumers fooled by such claims?consumers generally can't tell whether a product will do what the advertiser claimsdegrade in a landfillnot deplete the ozone layereven if the claims are true, it may not be evident for five, ten, fifty or more yearsAs a result of concerns about growing use of such claims, the FTC issued Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims

What do the Guides cover?Any way in which a message can be received labeling advertising promotional materialsAny form a message can takewordssymbolsemblemslogosdepictionsproduct brand names

260.6 General Principles(a) Any qualifications or disclosures should be sufficiently clear, prominent and understandable to prevent deception(b) Claim should make clear whether it applies to the product or the package(c) Claims should not overstate the environmental attribute or benefit260.7 Environmental Marketing Claims(a) General claims (e.g., eco-safe) must benot misleadingsubstantiated in advance of the claimburden of proof on advertiser(b) Claims of degradability, biodegradability, and photodegradabilityare deceptive unless there is scientific evidence that the entire product or package will completely break down and return to nature (i.e. decompose) within a reasonably short period of time

(c) Claims of compostability (of the product or package)are deceptive unless all the materials in the product or package will break down into usable compost in a safe and timely mannerin an appropriate composting facility; ora home compost pileare deceptive ifthe item is not compostable in a home compost pile; andthere are no institutional or municipal composting facilities in the community where the item is sold(d) Claims of recyclabilityare deceptive unless the product or package can be collected, separated or otherwise recovered from the solid waste streamfor reuse; orin the manufacture or assembly of another package or productthrough an established recycling programIf only part of a package or item is recyclable, any claim of recyclability must be adequately qualified to avoid consumer deceptionA claim of recyclability is not deceptive if only minor, incidental components are non-recyclable

Claims of recyclability have unique potential for deception becausenot all communities have recycling facilitiesnot all facilities recycle the same products and packages As a general rule, use of the term "recyclable" and/or use of symbols that imply recyclability are deceptiveunless collection sites for recycling the material are available to a substantial majority of consumers or communitieseven if collection sites are established in a significant percentage of communities or available to a significant percentage of the populationunless the claim is qualified to indicate the limited availability of recycling programsSymbols that imply recyclability includethree chasing arrowsFTC Guide says that, unless qualified, it means product or package is made of recycled materials as well as being recyclableSPI symbolcode developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry to indicate the type of plastic from which product is madenumbers run from 1 to 7Qualifications that adequately notify consumers of limited availability of recycling programs include"This bottle may not be recyclable in your area""Recyclable in the few communities with facilities for foam polystyrene cups"providing the approximate number or percentage of communities or population to whom programs are available(h) Claims relating to the preservation of the ozone layerFor example:ozone safeozone friendlycontains no CFCsare deceptive if the product contains any ozone-depleting substance

Problem: all ozone is not alike:ozone layer in upper atmosphere is necessary to prevent sun's harmful radiation from reaching earthozone at ground level forms smog can cause serious breathing problems"ozone safe" products should not harm the atmosphere at either level

Green PowerGreen marketing heavily used in electricity generation/marketingWhat is green power?electric power that isgenerated by renewable resourcesless polluting than fossil fuels and nuclear powerWhat types of power are green?Wind BioenergyGeothermal energySolar power Hydroelectric power