by Rebecca Walker — December 17, 2010—As the Federal Trade Commission closes its public comment period for its Green Guides, EnviroMedia Social Marketing has released new research showing 65 percent of Americans would prefer just one seal for green products over the hundreds now that are causing confusion.
If approved, the Green Guides would restrict renewable energy claims, an area of confusion, according to research results. When asked, “Is coal a renewable energy source?” 25 percent of Americans said yes, and another 15 percent said they didn’t know.
The research shows Americans most trust a third-party certification system, like the Good Housekeeping Seal, Green Seal, or Underwriters Laboratory as the primary enforcer of manufacturers’ green claims.
“There are more than 350 labels or seals of approval that offer to help consumers know whether a product is green or healthy, which is classic information overload for the consumer’s brain,” said Kevin Tuerff, co-founder of EnviroMedia. “Having one comprehensive national seal to identify the best green products would limit consumer confusion and also hold advertisers accountable to one set of standards.”
EnviroMedia commissioned Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) to conduct a national survey of 1,022 Americans. For more information, see the Web site.
