Archived press release

Show green cons the red card says foe

17 February 1998

Today's Government code of conduct says that claims will have to be accurate, capable of being substantiated by hard evidence, relevant to the product in question and used in an appropriate context. Terms such as “environmentally friendly” should not be used.

Mike Childs, consumer campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
“A voluntary approach to green cons is not good enough. Companies who deliberately mislead the public about a products environmental performance should face prosecution by the courts not a rap over the knuckles from a toothless tiger. The public and the environment deserve better.

Friends of the Earth is also calling on the Government to force companies to:

• provide information on the 'cradle to grave' impact that a product has on the environment as a whole, not just the impact it has on one area.

• provide information about the full environmental impact of all products, not just the few niche 'green products' that a company produces.
  

A voluntary EU green labelling scheme, that assesses the 'cradle to grave' impact of a product, already exists. The label takes into account the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. This includes the extraction of raw materials, energy used to make it, its energy efficiency when in use, and its disposal (is it re-useable or recycled, or is it simply thrown away). Only fourteen products from 5 product groups carry the EU label. A number of other product categories have been assessed, with many more in the pipeline.

Mike Childs continued:
“Consumers should be given clear, accurate and comprehensive environmental information about all the products they buy. This will enable shoppers to make informed choices about the items they buy, helping them to become greener consumers”.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust