Kermit’s 15 Best Links on the FTC’s Green Guide to Environmental Marketing

Background
Earlier this month, the FTC released new guidelines for business making environmental claims about their products or services.  Of course, there has been no shortage of analysis or thoughts written since the release.  The following is a list of links with articles written by lawyers, industry trade magazines and others on the new guidelines.  Key to remember, though, is that while these are guidelines, how they are actually implemented and applied in individual circumstances remains to be seen.

Discussion
Okay, there’s not really a discussion, here are simply links to Articles on the FTC’s new guidelines for environmental marketing. 

The first link is, importantly enough, from the FTC.  It has a number of links within it that take you to more detailed information.  The next 7 links are from various industry groups and associations that are affected by the Green Guides.  And, I save the best for last (okay not really), the last 6 are from law firms.  I promise you much of the material from laws firms is repetitive (we are not a creative bunch), but it is, nonetheless, great material whether you are looking for a short summary, or something more in-depth.

1. Direct from The FTC:  FTC Issues Revised “Green Guides” Will Help Marketers Avoid Making Misleading Environmental Claims  Link Here
2. BBB: FTC’s New ‘Green Guides’ Should Help Clarify Environmental Claims Link Here
3. From Consumer Reports:  FTC issues revised Green Guides  Link Here
4. From Nutra-ingredients USA:  Plastics Industry Warns FTC’s Green Guides Could Cause Confusion  Link Here
5. AdAge:  FTC Issues Final Version of Green Guides   Link Here
6. Sustainable Brands: Presenting: The New FTC Green Guides  Link Here
7. Waste & Recycling News  Federal Trade Commission releases updated ‘Green Guides’  Link Here
8. PRNewser/MediaBistro: Will the FTC’s Revised ‘Green Guides’ Keep Marketers Honest? Link Here
9. Loeb & Loeb:  FTC Publishes Final Version of Revised Green Guides Link Here
10. Edwards Wildman: Revised “Green Guides” for Environmentally Friendly Marketing Claims Released by FTC Link Here
11. FTC Releases Revised Environmental Claims Guides: Modifications and Surprises  Link Here
12. Manatt Phelps: FTC Releases Highly Anticipated Revised Green Guides  Link Here
13. Venable: The Final Green Guides Are Here Link Here
14. Barnes & Thornburgh Advertising & Marketing / Climate Change Alert – FTC Releases Revised Green Guides Link Here
15. Arent Fox: FTC Releases Revised “Green Guides”  Link Here

Why You Should Care
If you or your clients make any environmental claims in your advertising, you must be aware of the FTC’s new “Green Guides” and take them into account when developing copy.  Also, many environmental claims are based on testing and comparison to other products; traditional FTC rules and regulations will still apply to these issues.